08/27/2026
Today, we remember our friend, and valued member of our work family whose passing has left an unexpected emptiness in our hearts.
He had a genuine passion for sports, our parks, and, perhaps most of all, the people who filled those spaces. He found joy in seeing families making memories, children playing, friends gathering, and our community simply enjoying the beauty of the places around us. Those moments meant something to him, and his appreciation for them was something truly special.
His love for our community could be seen in the way he cared about our parks and the people who enjoyed them. He understood that these places were more than fields, playgrounds, and green spaces—they were where memories were made.
His passing is a reminder of how much one person can quietly contribute to a community and how deeply they can touch the lives of those around them.
We are grateful for the time we had with him, the memories he left behind, and the passion he shared with so many.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.
You will be deeply missed, but the beauty you saw in our community and the joy you found in watching others enjoy it will not be forgotten. 🕊️
Today, our hearts are broken.
It is with profound sadness that we share that our Director, Tim Dockery, has left this world.
For more than three decades, Tim dedicated his life to parks and recreation and to serving the people of Newport. But the impact of his life cannot be measured in years, projects, programs, awards or titles.
It is measured in people.
In the generations of children who grew up in our parks. In the coaches, employees and young professionals he encouraged along the way. In the friendships and partnerships he built. In the places throughout our community that are better because Tim cared enough to believe they could be.
Tim believed deeply in this department. He believed in his people. And even as we celebrated some of our greatest accomplishments together this year, he was always quick to remind us that none of it belonged to one person. It belonged to the team.
That was Tim.
For those of us fortunate enough to work beside him, he was more than our director. He was our leader, our mentor, our friend and the heart of this department.
There are simply no words big enough for this loss.
We will miss his stories. His laugh. His stubbornness. His wisdom. The way he could make us laugh when we probably weren't supposed to. The way he loved this community. And the way he believed, right up until the end, that there was still more good work ahead of us.
Tim spent his career creating places where people could gather, play, grow, belong and make memories.
Now, we will carry his work forward.
We will take care of the places he loved.
We will take care of each other.
And we will do our very best to make him proud.
Thank you, Tim, for believing in Newport.
Thank you for believing in this department.
And thank you for believing in us.
Your legacy is everywhere.
Rest easy, Director. We'll take it from here. ❤️
