Jean Newman

Jean Dorothy Newman was born in 1905 at El Paso, Texas. Her father, W. G. Reading was a chief dispatcher for the Southern Pacific Railway. Her mother, Mrs. W. G. Reading, was a business woman who specialized in real estate. Newman's maternal grandfather, Donald Mackay Gordon, emigrated to Canada from Scotland. He served as Mayor of Wingham and built the first brick house in Listowel.[1]

When Newman was three months old, the family relocated to Toronto, where they resided on Rushmore Road. She attended Oakwood Collegiate Institute as her secondary school, and the University of Toronto for post secondary education, where she majored in arts. She had always been interested in religious and charity organizations. She had presided over multiple associations within the university, such as the Home and School Association, the University College Alumnae, St. George’s United Church WMS, and she was on the board of the United Church of Training School.[1]

In 1925, she married T. Campbell Newman, who was majoring in chemistry at University of Toronto. They went on to have two kids, George and Margaret.[1] In her free time, she made oil paintings. She had multiple exhibitions, and her house is home to a collection of both her own work and that of other Canadian artists. She had always been a very proficient public speaker, winning gold and silver medals in public speaking competitions.[1]