Admiral B. Bruce Newell, 87, died on April 9, 2020 at his home in New Holland, PA. He is survived by his wife Theresa Troncale Newell, four children, four stepchildren, 34 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and a brother, Capt. John W. Newell.

The son of the late Byron Bruce Newell of Camphill, AL and Eleanor Davis (Whitaker) Newell of Washington, DC, Bruce was born July 31, 1932 in Long Beach, California.

Admiral Newell completed his undergraduate training in 1955 at the United States Naval Academy where he captained the soccer team earning First Team All-American honors as a goalkeeper. He served at sea in the Weapons Department of U.S. Navy destroyers Lowry and Hull for the first four years of his twenty-nine-year Navy career.

From 1959-62 he attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, earning a Master's Degree in Electronics Engineering specializing in Information and Control Systems.

In 1962, as a Lieutenant, he was command the towing and salvage ship, Takelma (ATF-113), in Pearl Harbor. Following command, he completed nuclear power training and served for three years as the Executive Officer of the land-based nuclear propulsion, submarine and destroyer, prototype training facility in Ballston Spa, New York. He then served for three years in the grade of Commander as Executive Officer of the nuclear-powered cruiser, Truxtun (CGN-35), completing three deployments in the Gulf of Tonkin during the war in Vietnam.

In 1971, he commanded the destroyer Charles Adams (DDG-2) and deployed for six months with the Standing Naval Force of NATO, at the time the only multi-national naval force in the world. Following his destroyer command, he served for one year at the Navy Recruiting Command in Washington, DC as the Head of Promotions responsible for promoting the Navy's image as the All-Volunteer Force replaced the draft.

In 1974 he completed training at Naval Reactors to qualify for command of a nuclear-powered warship and took command of the nuclear cruiser Bainbridge (CGN-25). During his 38-month command tour, Bainbridge completed an Indian Ocean deployment and reactor core replacement at Bremerton, Washington.

He returned to Washington, DC in 1977 serving in the Pentagon as the Director of the Surface Manpower and Training Division (OP-39) on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. Selected for Rear Admiral in 1979, he was ordered to a one-year tour as a Deputy Director for Operations in the National Military Command Center of the Department of Defense. Following this assignment, he completed two tours on the staff of Secretary of the Navy as the Navy's Chief of Information and then as Chief of Legislative Affairs. During his four years as spokesman to the media and the Congress, the Navy achieved its goal of 600 ships and 15 carrier Battle Groups. He was awarded the Navy's highest peacetime decoration, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, for his service.

Retiring in 1984, Admiral Newell began a second career as a pastor in the Episcopal Church. Graduating from Virginia Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree in 1987, he served in two churches before being called to Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania as Associate Dean for Operation and Development. During his six years on Trinity's staff, he directed the administration of the school and helped raise over eight million dollars to provide for the building of two modern administration buildings, one of which is named in his honor. Following his work for Trinity, Admiral Newell served for three years on the staff of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Sewickley, PA retiring in 2006.

Admiral Newell married Ingrid Asche of Annapolis, Maryland, in 1955. Together they raised four children. In 1989 Ingrid died in an automobile accident. In 1990, Admiral Newell married Theresa Troncale Mulligan of Birmingham, Alabama, the mother of four grown children.

A livestream viewing and prayer service will be broadcast on April 14 at 1PM at https://youtu.be/vbrZc1cC8bI. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Interment will be in the Arlington National Cemetery. To send the family online condolences or view livestream visit us at www.groffeckenroth.com. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to: USNA Class of 1955 and mailed to: Robin Pirie, 4405 Stanford Street, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-5207, or to Trinity School for Ministry at www.tsm.edu; Petra Church (www.petra.church); CMJ (www.cmj-usa.org) or Cavod Academy of the Arts (www.cavod.org). Arrangements by Groff-High Funeral Home, New Holland.