Mr. Orcen Willis "Uncle Willis" Newland

Bronze Medal Olympian, Community Leader, husband, father and brother

 WATERBURY – It is with broken hearts and profound sadness that the family of Mr. Orcen Willis “Uncle Willis” Newland, age 49 of Waterbury, announce his unexpected passing on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at St Mary’s Hospital with his devoted wife and four sons at his bedside. He was the husband of Parbattie (Ramgobind) Newland. 

Orcen was born on June 6, 1975 in Guyana, the son of the Padminee Lalaram and the late  Collard Newland . He was educated in New York and received his Bachelor of Business degree from Hunter College in NY. From early in his life he was active in many sports particularly track and field and represented his native Guyana in the 1996 Olympics where he won a bronze medal. He enjoyed sports of all types especially cricket and football, he was very active in the local Guyanese community where he was a well-respected leader. He managed for Walgreens for 22 years and had recently switched careers and was employed by the United States Postal Service in New Britain. Fondly known in his community as “Uncle Willis”, Orcen enjoyed a wide circle of friends and was a giant of everything good; humility, integrity, and generosity and he was a husband and father with a capacity to love that was unending. He will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to know and love him. May his memory be an everlasting blessing to all. 

Left to honor his memory and legacy besides his devoted wife and his Mom, are his four sons; Navendra “Nick”, Omkar “Nathaniel”, Mukesh “Kevin” and Dhanesh “Zack” all of Waterbury. He also leaves 3 brothers and a sister in NY and many, many close friends and extended family members of Guyanese descent. 

Funeral services for Mr Newland will held on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Casey’s Eastside Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Care 1987 East Main St Waterbury CT. Relatives and friends may visit with Orcen’s family on Friday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Loving kindness is always welcome, and it only takes a moment to oer a message of condolence and share a memory or words of comfort with the family and friends of someone who was important to you. Please do that on the funeral home tribute page at www.caseyfunerals.com . To send owers or a memorial gift to the Newland family, please visit our website Sympathy Store at www.caseyfunerals.com.