NEWCOMB, BEN & BARB

Ben and Barb Newcomb were married June 3, 1957. They were first encountered in 1980 in Iowa/Illinois. Their UME roles included Executive Couple (1992-1997), Admin Team, Deeper Lay Team, Celebration Committee Chair Couple, and Celebration Committee. They received the Ham & Eggs Award in 2000. Their UME status is "retired team." $500 in total tributes have been given in their honor.

Under Ben’s and Barbara’s leadership, and with the Board’s approval, several changes and recommendations were approved in 1993. One significant change was dividing the Human Resources Committee into two committees, a Community Resources Committee (CRC) to address Community needs and a Team Resources Committee (TRC) to focus on Team Couple development. Tom and Judy Epps continued leading the CRC, while Jim and Betty Edmonds provided leadership for the TRC.

Ben Newcomb - Obituary

Ben Newcomb went to join his Heavenly Father on June 8, 2026, surrounded by his loving

family at Generations Rock Island. He was 91 years young.

Ben lived a life grounded in faith from the very beginning. Ben and his twin brother were born

on April 16, 1935, in Volga, South Dakota. Ben and his 4 siblings were raised by their parents,

Charles and Camila Newcomb, née Steensland, in a home built on strong Christian roots and

values. Those roots shaped Ben’s life and became the foundation of the home he later built with

his beloved wife, Barbara and their six children.

Faith was never something Ben just believed; it was something he lived. He nurtured a Christian

home, led by example, and carried his values into his family, his friendships, his coaching, his

church, and his community. He stood firmly by what he believed and quietly, consistently

instilled those values in the people around him.

As a twin, Ben understood the meaning of teamwork, trust, discipline, and caring for the people

beside you. Those lessons became a central part of his life’s work.

Ben attended Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he met Barbara Beth

Cummings. Their life together began in a beautifully fitting way: on June 3, 1957, they graduated

in the morning and were married that afternoon. Together, they recently celebrated 69 wonderful

years of marriage — a lifetime of love, faith, family, service, and partnership.

After earning his master’s degree at Eastern New Mexico University, Ben and Barbara returned

to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he began his teaching and coaching career. They later

moved to Charleston, Illinois, where Ben coached and taught at Eastern Illinois University

before eventually coming to Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. At Augustana, he served

as head football coach, and athletic director.

He was a coach in the deepest and truest sense. He coached baseball, football, and track.

Athletics were never just games to him. They were opportunities to shape lives. Ben cared about

his players. He listened, guided, encouraged, challenged, and helped them become better men.

He was a leader of men — in athletics and in life. He was not “Mr. Newcomb.” He was simply

and affectionately “Coach.”

Ben’s care for his players extended beyond the field. He brought Fellowship of Christian

Athletes to Augustana because he wanted young men to have access to a faith-based community,

encouragement, and support. His leadership was rooted in the belief that people needed more

than instruction; they needed connection, purpose, and faith.

Ben was also a leader in his church and community. He and Barbara gave generously of their

time, traveling the world through United Marriage Encounter to counsel and support married

couples. Together, they also taught parenting classes, offering guidance and encouragement to

families. Their faith and service were woven into every part of their life together.

Ben was a family man above all else. He and Barbara raised six amazing children. He loved

deeply, showed up faithfully, and taught by the way he lived. His home was filled with laughter

and love. He teased, joked, and encouraged his children and grandchildren. He was always their

best cheerleader and coach. Family vacations, family time, playing together, and going to church

together created a life centered on faith, love and togetherness.

Ben was a connector of people, he lived with conviction, kindness, humor, and purpose. His

legacy lives on in his family, in the players he coached, in the couples and parents he

encouraged, in the children he helped, and in the countless people who were blessed to be

welcomed into his world.

He leaves behind more than memories. He leaves behind a way of living — with faith at the

center, family as the priority, joy in the everyday, and love offered freely to all.