CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine -- Lina Jeanne Newhouser, 56, died at her home, 2 Seal Cove Lane, Friday evening, July 18th, from complications following an April mini-allo stem-cell transplant as part of the long treatment in her defiant 3-year stand against non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Lina was an artist, political activist, organic farmer, businesswoman, and proud, loving mom.
Lina was born in Grand Junction, Colorado--the daughter of John and Charlotte Newhouser. But she considered her beloved New Orleans home--where she was raised and went to high school. Lina graduated from Southwestern College in Memphis, Tenn. She also lived and studied at the University of Munich, Germany, for two years.
After college, Lina became a lead community organizer for ACORN: the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, working stints in Texas, Little Rock, Ark., and Bridgeport, Conn. In 1980, she worked on the national staff of the Citizens' Party, trying to elect Barry Commoner President as a vehicle to start a new progressive third party in the US. There, she met and worked with both of her future husbands on the Citizens' Party staff. Lina then moved to New York City for a job as co-director of The Media Network — combining her two passions, art and politics —in a project that used independently produced films as organizing and educational tools in NYC's working-class neighborhoods.
In 1984, Lina and her first husband, Bert DeLeeuw, moved to Belize, where Lina focused on her painting for a year. Then Lina and Bert moved back to the US and bought a 200-acre old farm in Huntingdon, PA--in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. Over five seasons, Lina & Bert turned their 'Blue Moon Farm' into a hugely successful organic vegetable and flower farm. Chloe was born in 1989. In May of 1990, Bert was shot and killed by a neighbor when Chloe was just 6 months old--and Lina soon sold the farm.
In 1991, Chloe and Lina moved to Kentucky for Lina to work at Appalshop, an arts and education center based in the eastern coal region of the state. Lina was the Assistant Director of The American Festival Project at Appalshop, work she continued after her 1993 move to Main,e when she and Craig married. Moriah was born in 1995.
Since 1996, Lina has worked as International Program Director for Transformit, a small, extraordinary Maine-based firm that designs, builds, rents, and sells sculptural structures made out of fabric for the special event, trade show, architectural, and retail markets. She loved her work (and her co-workers) at Transformit, which combined her skills in art, organization, and people skills — and allowed her to travel to Europe a lot — putting her German, French, and Italian language skills to good use.
In the 1980s, Lina served as the national president of the Alliance for Cultural Democracy, a national activist arts organization that flourished from 1982 to 1994. In recent years, Lina served on the Cape Elizabeth Arts Commission.
In 1997, Lina and her husband, Craig Brown, co-founded Common Dreams, the popular online news & views website for the progressive community.
Lina is survived by her husband, Craig Brown; daughters Chloe May DeLeeuw Brown, 18, and Moriah Brown, 13, all of Cape Elizabeth; her brother John Newhouser and his wife, Teri of Houston, Texas; her brother Mark Newhouser and his wife Joan MacDonald of Glen Ellen, Calif. And her mothers-in-law Evelyn DeLeeuw of Green Pond, New Jersey; and Ruth Brown of Cape Elizabeth; and many in-laws, nieces and nephews and a wide circle of friends all over the world.
* * *
A celebration of Lina's life was held on September 7th, 2008, at the Inn by the Sea across the road from her home in Cape Elizabeth. Over 200 friends and family came together to toast Lina - her work, her art, her family, and her life. Warm sunshine, loud zydeco music, good food & drink, and so many great friends. Lina would have loved it!
In lieu of flowers, Lina's family requested that memorial donations in her honor be made to the work of CODEPINK: Women for Peace.
* * *
More Photos of Lina...
* * *
* * *
* * *
* * *
