William E. Newman, 89, of Cranston passed away on February 4, 2021.  He is survived by his wife, Winifred A. Newman.  He was the son of the late Basil and Mildred Newman and brother of the late Basil Newman Jr. As a young man, he was a student at Hope High School.  While there, he was a member of the cross country team and  broke many records.  In 1949, he won the State of Rhode Island Cross Country title, making him the first runner to win the title for Hope High School.  He later went on to run cross country at Providence College. William was a social worker for the State of RI, retiring in 1994.  He had a great interest in art and taught himself to paint.  He spent much of his retirement working on his artwork. 
Funeral and burial services will be private.