Margaret Rudd Newlin, 79, of Secane, retired English professor and poet, died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease Jan. 1 at Crosslands Retirement Community in Kennett Square.
Dr. Newlin published six volumes of poetry, including The Collected Poems, 1963 to 1986. Her 1976 work, Snow Falls Upward, was nominated for a National Book Award. In 1990, her poem “Rain” was included in Art and Love: an Illustrated Anthology of Love Poetry, published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A native of New York City, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College and a doctorate in English literature from Reading College in England. In 1956 she was married to Nicholas Newlin, head of the English department at Washington College in Chestertown MD, where she taught English literature. The couple retired to Shipley Farm in Secane in 1973, where they had previously summered. The property had been in Nicholas Newlin’s family since 1725. Their son Robert said his mother was passionate about animals. Nicholas Newlin died in 1976. Dr. Newlin also is survived by sons James, David and Thomas; and four grandchildren. The funeral service and burial were private.