Naomi (Neoma) (Washington) Newman

Life Reflections

Naomi (Neoma) Washington Newman was born in Greenville, TX on March 10, 1927 to Rena and Jasper Washington.  She was one of 11 children - four boys and seven girls. She is survived by one brother.

Naomi grew up in the small town of Greenville, Texas, a town 30 miles east of Dallas, but relocated to Kansas City, KS after meeting and marrying Paul Newman on August 14, 1943.  To this union five children were born.  Naomi worked part time and raised her children until she found a retail business she wanted to own.  Brown Sundries at 10th and Quindaro was acquired and she became a surrogate mother to hundreds in the community with every hamburger she sold.   Mrs. Newman became famous in the community for her signature Texas hamburger, AKA Newman's hamburger.  Naomi and Paul had owned and operated several businesses (also a laundromat, a gas station and Wyandotte Cab Company), in Kansas City, Kansas from 1960 to 1992, but her favorite was the business she built and for which she was best known, Newman's Parkwood Sundries. She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years in 1992.

After her retirement, Naomi was able to travel extensively with her family.  She traveled to Europe, Hawaii, Florida, Texas, California, Colorado, Washington D.C. and the Caribbean Islands. She led a very productive life until diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2002.

Naomi raised five children and was an important influence in the lives of her eight grandchildren.  Because of her quiet, calm, soft-spoken, loving, supportive and generous personality, each child and grandchild remained devoted to her during her lengthy illness with Alzheimer's disease.

Those left to cherish her memory are; daughters Marjorie (Monte) Owens of Kansas City, MO; Paulette (Herbert) Hall, Linda (LaVert) Murray of Kansas City, Kansas, Two sons; Rodney (Sharon) Newman of Olathe, Kansas, Patrick Newman of Kansas City, Kansas; brother, Ray McLemore of Kansas City, Kansas, eight grandchildren; Monica Owens-Kirk (Rory), Korri (Robert) Thompson, Erik (Nicole) Murray, Brea (Korey) Griffith, Kayla Hall, Reginald Newman, Ramone Newman, Rashaud Johnson; ten great grandchildren; Alyssa Murray, Amaya Murray, Kaden Hall, Zane Murray, Adyn Murray, Alena Kirk, Ramone’ Newman Jr., Raymond Newman, Brynne Griffith, Kamden Griffith, and many nieces and nephews, along with a host of other loving and devoted relatives and friends.

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