Terry Newell, a long-time publishing veteran who worked at Simon & Schuster, Prentice Hall, Grolier, Time-Life Books, Weldon Owen, and Insight Editions, died on December 4 at home in Petaluma, Calif. He was 73.

Newell joined the publishing business after serving in sales roles at Proctor & Gamble and Atari. His first stop was at S&S, where he spent nearly eight years, serving as VP and director of sales for the publisher’s trade division and, later, SVP of sales for the Pocket Books trade division. He moved to Grolier as VP of sales in 1991.

In 1994, Newell was named publisher at Time-Life Custom Publishing where he oversaw the publication of such bestsellers as Mrs. Fields Cookie Book, the Nature Company Guides, and the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library series, which sold more than 12 million copies.

The Kitchen Library series was produced by San Francisco-based packager Weldon Owen, and its founder, John Owen, persuaded Newell to join the company as president in 1999. During his 15 years at Weldon Owen, Newell managed the transformation of the company from an independent book packager known for its lavishly illustrated titles to a publisher that worked with such high-profile brands as Pottery Barn, The Body Shop, Kellogg’s, Gymboree, and Mayo Clinic to produce illustrated books. While at Weldon Owen, Newell also established Fog City Press as a value imprint selling non-returnable books to mass merchants.

Newell left Weldon Owen in 2014 to become head of sales for Insight Editions until his retirement. (In 2018, Insight purchased Weldon Owen.)

“Terry made a significant contribution to illustrated publishing over many decades,” said Weldon Owen cofounder John Owen. “Anyone who had the pleasure to meet him will remember his charm, wise counsel, and warm generosity. Terry had an appetite for life, a joy and aptitude for sales, and was able to manage complex businesses with grace. I’m grateful I was able to rely on such a smart, calm, and capable person as a partner and a friend.”

Current Weldon Owen publisher, Roger Shaw, said the company has heard from many of Newell’s friends since word of his passing has spread.

“Terry was an approachable mentor and trustworthy friend to so many in the industry, and his example will continue to influence those who were fortunate to know him,” Shaw said. “We’ll all greatly miss Terry’s passion, humor, and expertise, and treasure the publishing adventures we shared,” Shaw said.

Newell is survived by his wife, Nita, whom he met as S&S, as well as five children,10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Publishing friends who would like to share memories, or want to be notified of a celebration of life, can email tallterrytales@gmail.com.