Uncrowned Community Builders

While his first name was Alexander, he preferred to use his first initial only. A. Newton Service was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, British West Indies. He immigrated to the United States in 1910 and settled in Boston, Massachusetts where he became a naturalized citizen in 1912. He was married shortly thereafter to Julia Pengally and the couple moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. Newton worked for the Standard Electric Time Company as a shipper.

In 1925, Service, his wife and three children, L. Erna, Russell N. and Cleon O, moved to Buffalo, New York. Service worked as an apprentice in the office of Howard Winship, Incorporated before opening up his own real estate brokerage firm. He was one of the first African Americans to own and operate a realty company in the city; Newton Realty. He continued to operate the firm, joined by his son Cleon, until his death in 1956.

Service fell during a trip to Jamaica and broke his hip. Complications from the fall led to his untimely death. His first wife, Julia, predeceased him on March 9, 1951 and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, NY. Service was buried in his hometown of Port Antonio.