Virginia Newton Remembered
By Roseann Fucillo and Maxine Gurin
Published in March 2003 AKC GAZETTE

Virginia Newton, of Mariposa Papillons, died in January at the age of 89.  She was a PCA member for 53 years, longer than any other living member, and was an honorary life member.  Her passing closes a chapter of post-World War II Papillon history and represents the end of an era.  She would want us to celebrate her accomplishments, remember her dogs and benefit from her knowledge as we advance the breed to which she devoted her life.

Virginia purchased her first Papillon in 1950, primarily for obedience, from Rachael Kemmerer, who convinced Virginia to enter the dog Lancelot of Dulceda in point shows.  In 1951, Lance went WD and BW at Westminster under Alva Rosenberg for a five-point major.  Although Lance did not become the first Papillon CD as Virginia had hoped, he did become the first Papillon champion CD and CDX. 

Mariposa Papillons moved to Los Altos Hills, California, in 1959, and Virginia went on to breed some 75 champions, including national specialty and BIS winners.  She had specialty BB winners in 1959, 1962, 1963, 1968, and 1969.  In 1974 and 1975, her dogs were specialty BOS winners.  In 1963, Virginia’s homebred Nimber of Mariposa went BB at the national from the puppy class.  At the 1966 national, she was awarded both WD with Wag and WB with Vanda.  The most famous dog from her breeding was Ch. Gowdy of Mariposa, who is our breed’s most influential stud dog.  In 1970, Gowdy became the first American BIS Papillon since 1937.  During the course of his lifetime, Gowdy became our top producer of all time, having sired 87 champions.  He began seven generations of all-breed BIS males and was the sire of the breed’s top-winning BIS bitch, Ch. Starheir’s Crown Jewel.  Up to this day, Gowdy can still be traced in the pedigrees of many of our BIS dogs.  He won the 1969 specialty, and his descendants continued his tradition from 1973 to 1986, and in 1989 and 1990.

Virginia served the PCA in various capacities.  She held the post of corresponding secretary in 1959, and again from 1964 through 1969.  She served as our second vice president from 1973 to 1975, and served as trustee from 1975 to 1979.

Virginia was also a gifted writer.  Her articles appeared in Pap Talk, Front and Finish, the Scrapbook, various Papillon Club handbooks, and the AKC GAZETTE.  One of her proudest accomplishments was The Papillon Primer.  The Dog Writer’s Association of America recognized this book as one of the outstanding breed-specific publications of 1989.

In recognition of Virginia’s many contributions to the Papillon breed, the PCA dedicated the 2001 national specialty to her and presented her with a lifetime achievement award.  The impact of her accomplishments and vision will resound for many years to come.  Virginia is survived by her daughter, Esther, a professor at the State University of New York at Purchase. – RF – MG

Published with permission from the AKC GAZETTE.  This article is not to be copied whole or in part without written permission from the authors.

 An expanded version of this article appears on the PCA website, www.papillonclub.org. .