Joseph Thomas Newman was a math whiz from an early age, according to his family. As a child in Sag Harbor he and his siblings would pick wild blueberries to sell in town. When a neighbor asked how to make a pie, he described the process with accurate measurements.
Years later, while living in Kansas and coaching his two sons’ Little League baseball team, he formulated equations to ensure that every child played an equal amount, and ultimately led the team to win the league championship.
By that time he had already earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y. While there, a fraternity brother introduced him to Arleen Luma. They were married in 1963 and started a family at their first home, in Englewood, N.J.
Mr. Newman died of complications of pulmonary fibrosis on Nov. 17 in Napa, Calif., where he had lived for 44 years. He was 84.
He was born in Sag Harbor on Sept. 15, 1939, to James and Genevieve Newman. Growing up on Howard Street in that village, he was fond of crabbing and clamming on the local beaches, and had a lifelong love of shellfish.
During his years as a chemical engineer, he relied on his mathematical expertise to oversee technical projects such as coal gasification, evaluation of the reactor encasing after the Chernobyl meltdown, Russian dismantling of nuclear missiles, and the glassification of nuclear waste at the Hanford reactor on the Columbia River in Washington State.
For the last 25 years of his career, he worked at Bechtel, commuting daily from Napa to San Francisco until retiring in 2006.
The Newmans were enthusiastic about adventures and experiences, embarking on long road trips with their children to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Colorado for skiing, and Canada.
Once settled in Napa, Mr. Newman bought a water-ski boat and a ski condo at Lake Tahoe. Many weekends were spent camping at Lake Berryessa and skiing at Donner Summit, both in California. He also enjoyed family visits to Sag Harbor.
“Joe graced our lives with his dedication, hard work ethic, generosity, and kindness,” his family wrote. “His love for his family, devotion to his wife, Arleen, and his deep kindness are treasured memories that will continue to live in our hearts.”
Two children, Joseph Newman of Napa and Elise Newman of Santa Barbara, Calif., survive, as do three siblings, James Newman, Carol McNally, and Joan Gaudette. Eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren also survive. His wife and his son Matthew died before him.
He will be honored at a private service with his immediate family.
