Marshall Neal Newhouse

Marshall Neal Newhouse of Boise, Idaho, passed away peacefully on September 4, 2026, at St. Luke’s Hospital, surrounded by family.

Neal was a devoted father and a loving partner, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of everyone fortunate enough to know him. Beneath his tough, no-nonsense exterior was a caring, patient, sincere and loving man.

Family was at the heart of who he was. He was a great admirer of his parents, held deep respect and affection for his big brother, Robert Newhouse, and for the family that surrounded them. He also had a profound appreciation for his family's ancestors and the generations who came before him. Their lives, stories, and legacy were important to him, and he took pride in researching, understanding and honoring his family history.

Neal will be remembered not only for the strength of his personality but for the sincerity, his loyalty, his patience, and the love he gave to those closest to him. To know him well was to understand that behind the tough exterior was a remarkably kind heart. His influence will continue through the family, the memories he created, and the many people who were fortunate enough to call him a father, partner, brother, son, or friend.

Neal always said he had a great life. A fourth-generation Boisean, began on December 12, 1937, at St. Luke’s Hospital. He spent most of his youth on the Holstein dairy farm of his parents, Robert and Margaret Newhouse, on Cole Road, where Fairmont Junior High is now located. Neal attended Boise public schools, graduating from Boise High School in 1955. Along the way, he became an Eagle Scout and was editor of the high school annual, the Courier. He attended the University of Idaho, graduating first in his class from the College of Law in 1961. At the University, Neal was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity, served as Junior Class President and ASUI Vice President. He was admitted to the Phi Beta Kappa scholastic fraternity in his junior year and was selected as a “Top Ten Senior”. Neal was proud that 15 Newhouse men were members of Beta Theta Pi at the University of Idaho and that several generations of Newhouses attended the University of Idaho.

Following graduation and admission into the Idaho Bar, Neal spent a year as Executive Secretary on the Elect Jack Hawley United States Senator campaign. He and Mr. Hawley drove 6,000 miles around the state in a close but ultimately unsuccessful effort to defeat incumbent Senator Frank Church. A few weeks before the election, he left to become a Judge Advocate General (“JAG”) in the United States Air Force, serving at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and at Mountain Home Air Base here in Idaho. Neal said he felt he learned more law in his three years as a JAG than he would have in a private law firm, and he greatly enjoyed the experience during his time as a JAG.

After he left the USAF, Neal joined the law firm of Hawley, Troxell, Ennis and Hawley in Boise, where he practiced for 25 years, becoming a partner and serving as Managing Partner along the way. The four founding partners were great mentors and friends, and when they retired, he

decided to retire too and, at fifty, headed off to Yale Law School to obtain a Master of Laws degree, followed by a year at ITAM law school in Mexico City as a visiting professor. That was the beginning of great new experiences, from being elected Prosecuting Attorney of Camas County, Idaho, to owning and building apartments in Boise, to practicing a little law along the way.

For five years, Neal served as a Trustee and President of the Boise School District Board of Trustees during a period of significant change including implementing Community Schools, creating open classrooms, and starting an alternative school, and a teachers' learning center, as well as modernizing the accounting and budgeting system.

Having spent most of his career working in the private sector as a lawyer, Neal always replied in the same way when asked which area of law he “specialized” in: “I do it all.” Lawyers, he would say, were once taught and expected to “know it all.” Neal was a champion of public service and came out of retirement to serve as General Counsel for the Ada County Highway District. During his five-year tenure, he oversaw many major infrastructure projects, but perhaps the most significant was the East Park Center Bridge, which was constructed in 2008 to connect the Barber Valley east of Boise. It was personally meaningful because the bridge was constructed near his home along the Greenbelt.

After retiring from the practice of law, Neal set out to see the world. He traveled extensively, following his curiosity from the Americas across the Atlantic and into Africa, Egypt, Asia, India, and many places beyond. He embraced the opportunity to experience different cultures, meet people from all walks of life, and see firsthand the places he had once only read about. His travels became an important and memorable chapter of his life, giving him countless experiences and stories he carried with him long after he returned home.

A man who truly understood the complex game of politics, he possessed a lifelong passion for debating current affairs with his family and friends. Neal approached discussions with a genuine hope of finding resolutions to the world’s problems, firmly believing that we must take on the challenge of working together to solve them.

As a devoted member of the Christian Scientist faith, Neal embraced a belief in the divine love exemplified by Jesus. He adhered to the tenet that death was not the ultimate reality, viewing it instead as an illusion that cannot sever the connection we share through divine Love. This understanding provided Neal with a deep sense of peace and continuity, reinforcing his conviction that love transcends physical existence. His faith was both personal and genuine, shaping his perspective on life, his family, and the world at large.

Neal is survived by his life partner, David Rojas, and his children and their spouses: Mary Armstrong (Monte), Melinda Pals (Joel), and James Newhouse (Jennifur), and his grandchildren: Samuel, Henry, and Gretchen Pals, and Jack and Jessica Newhouse.

A Celebration of Life open house is planned for October 10, 2026, from 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm to be held at the Cottonwood Grill, 913 W. River St., Boise, Idaho 83702

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to The Judge Robert G. Newhouse Advocacy Endowment (https://www.uidaho.edu/give).