JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Numan’s Cafe & Sports Bar in Downtown Johnson City held a memorial event Sunday in memory of its beloved namesake, Jean Numan.
“They enjoyed being here,” said Herbert Neumann, Jan Neumann’s youngest son, “They enjoyed spending time with people and having a good time. So we’re really going to miss them and we’re going to keep the business going for them.”
Jean Nouman and her late husband Dan met in the restaurant business in Florida. After a while, they moved to Texas to start a family, where Jean stayed in the restaurant business and Dan became an electrician.
Jean Numan’s dream of owning her own restaurant came true when she opened Chuckie’s Trading Company in Texas. With Jean doing the cooking and Dan keeping the lights on, the little business thrived.
A few years later, they realized their goals were bigger—Jan began dreaming of a pool hall where patrons could have a drink and sing karaoke or play poker—so they purchased a space in downtown Johnson City, Tennessee, where they’ve been welcoming the community for over 30 years.
Herbert Newman said his mother was the mastermind behind Newman’s Cafe & Sports Bar, and Dan helped her make it a reality. Jean Newman spent the rest of her life building lasting friendships with her guests, many of whom would remember her the next time they came downtown for a night out.
“But the reality is, what I remember are people who enjoyed life and enjoyed things,” Herbert Newman said.
Jean Newman was confident and animated on stage, often singing and playing bass to the delight of audiences. Herbert said she enjoyed singing on stage with her daughter Janine.
Herbert Newman reminded News Channel 11 that both of his parents were professional poker players, but Yang always won.
“They both played poker semi-professionally, and both were very good at it,” says Herbert Newman. “Jean won a few women’s poker tournaments and a few other tournaments. She was more successful overall financially than Dan, but her passion was much stronger.”
Jean Newman was the mother of five children: Herbert, Mark, Jenny, Julie and Janine. Her husband, Dan Newman, passed away in 2020.
