Jan Barney Newman

Jan Barney Newman, wife, mother, educator and entrepreneur, of Ann Arbor, MI, passed away peacefully on April 9, 2026.  Jan was born August 9, 1938 and spent her early years in the small town of Anadarko, Oklahoma, which was then both the county seat and formerly part of Indian territory.  Her parents, Margaret (Chaffin) Barney and the Honorable Oris L. Barney, the Chief Justice of Caddo County, were both leaders in their community.  Jan met her future husband, Dr. M. Haskell “Hack” Newman on a blind date at the University of Oklahoma where they both studied.  She received multiple awards including Outstanding Freshman Woman, Outstanding Junior Woman, and membership in the Mortar Board, a prestigious organization for Senior women.  She was one of six women performing with the OU Men’s Glee Club.  Jan graduated in August 1960 with a Woodrow Wilson Scholarship to prepare for her career in education.  Following their wedding, Jan and Hack moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where Hack completed medical school and Jan began teaching high school English.  The couple started their family.  In 1962 they moved to Ann Arbor for Dr. Newman to continue his training.  In 1968 they left to happily reside in Germany for three years while Hack fulfilled his military obligation.  In 1971, the family returned to Ann Arbor.  Upon their return, Jan received a master’s degree in education from the University of Michigan, often attending classes with her youngest child Matthew in a backpack.  Jan became a beloved and respected teacher at Tappan Middle School where she taught Unified Studies and English.  It was a time when educators were looking for new ways to engage students and Jan was in the forefront of making educational content fun and dynamic.  She started by developing a card game designed to teach 7th graders about Greek Mythology.  Soon this game and several others were being sold in museum stores all over the country.  What started as a cottage industry, assembling decks of cards at her dining room table, became Jan’s award winning company Aristoplay Games.  It was a catalog based educational game company with dozens of products.  Each game was carefully researched and Jan often credited living in Ann Arbor, a town filled with experts in every field, as an important part of her success.  Later, Jan established the first Learning Express toy store in Ann Arbor.  Jan was an active member of the community.  She served on the board of the Bank of Ann Arbor, and was a trustee of the Ann Arbor District Library.  She was also active in several community organizations including the University Musical Society, Monday Club, the P.E.O. Sisterhood, and a board member for Girls Group.  Throughout the years Jan enjoyed many trips all over the world with family and close friends.  She was an avid reader, a fantastic cook, and was a diligent student of French.  She will be missed by many.  Jan was predeceased by her husband.  She is survived by her sister, Dr. Jonne Barney Walter and Jonne’s husband Dr. Paul Walter of Georgia, her four sons, Dr. Christopher Newman (Carolyn), Nicholas (Barbara), Timothy (Emily), and Matthew (Suzanna), as well as seven grandchildren and many dear friends.  A celebration of life will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, Jan requested that a contribution be made to Girls Group Ann Arbor, an organization dedicated to helping young women become economically and emotionally self-sufficient.  Arrangements with Purse Funeral Home.  www.PurseFuneralHome.com

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