64 | AUGUST 18 • 2022 

T

he life of Ann 
(Hannah) Newman 
would make a fasci-
nating historical novel, the 
story of a plucky heroine 
from a Polish shtetl who 
became a groundbreaking 
entrepreneur, an avid Zionist, 
a generous benefactor to 
Jewish causes local and 
worldwide, and the matriarch 
of a large and loving family. 
Ann Newman, who lived in 
Oak Park, passed away on 
July 31, 2022, at the age of 94.
Ann was born in 1928 
in a small Polish town, the 
youngest of Risha and Aaron 
Eliezer Rosen’s three chil-
dren. Their father operated 
a mill and lumber yard, 
and their mother’s job as a 
seamstress required her to be 
away for months at a time. 
Consequently, Ann learned 
at a young age to be resilient 
and self-sufficient, skills that 
served her well throughout 
her life. 
To escape the (growing) 
antisemitism, her father 
immigrated to Palestine 
in 1931. When Ann and 
her brothers joined him in 
1936, they moved to Tel 
Aviv. She felt an immediate 
connection with Israel and 
became a member of Betar, 
a Revisionist Zionist youth 
movement. 
When both of her brothers 
were incarcerated in Kenya 
and Jerusalem, the injustice 
motivated her to join the 
Irgun, Israel’s paramilitary 
underground organization. 
After high school, Ann 
became a secretary for the 
chief of staff of the IDF 
(Israel Defense Forces). 

During this 
time, she met 
a dashing 
American 
pilot named 
Rudolph 
“Rudy” 
Newman, a 
Detroiter who 
was volunteering in the unit 
that later became Israel’s first 
air force.
The two were married in 
1949 and returned to Detroit 
when their oldest son Gene 
was 2. Reluctant to see her 
leave, her family prayed for a 
guardian angel to guide her 
way. 
Their hopes were realized 
when Ann was hired as a jan-
itor earning $1.05 an hour for 
the Frank W. Kerr company, 
a pharmaceutical wholesal-
er owned by Bill Davidson, 
renowned philanthropist, 
businessman and owner of 
the Detroit Pistons. 
As a result of her strong 
work ethic and natural 
business savvy, she earned 
her boss’s trust and respect 
and advanced through the 
company quickly, becoming 
head buyer and then general 
manager. In 1974 she was 
appointed president and CEO 
and became majority owner 
in the mid-2000s. 
In 1972, she became part 
owner of the Pistons and a 
board member of The Palace 
Foundation.
Frank W. Kerr became the 
fourth-largest private inde-
pendent drug wholesaler in 
the country, due in large part 
to her innovative programs 
that brought in major drug 
chains such as Kmart, Arbor 

and Meijer.
She established NoviXus 
Pharmacy Services in 2014, 
Michigan’s first totally auto-
mated prescription fulfill-
ment center. 
In addition to being the 
head of a successful com-
pany, she was a respected 
leader in her field. She was a 
trusted adviser to colleagues 
across the country, an expert 
witness in Congressional 
hearings on the emerging 
drug wholesale industry and 
the first woman elected to 
the board of directors of the 
National Wholesale Drug 
Association.
“She never stopped inno-
vating and building, and she 
led by example,” said Gene.
While building a career, 
she and Rudy raised three 
sons, and she took great 
pride as her sons married and 
her family grew to include 
17 grandchildren and 26 
great-grandchildren.
Family was all-important 
to Ann, and weekly Shabbos 
dinners were a cherished 
tradition. Around the table, 
she enjoyed talking about her 
early years in the shtetl and 
explaining how the hardships 
she faced crystallized her 
lifelong commitment to 
Judaism and the state of 
Israel.
She had a special 
relationship with each 
grandchild, and they adored 
spending time with her.
“Safta was the matriarch, 
the one who imprinted on 
us the values of hard work, 
who taught us doing it the 
right way matters,” wrote her 
grandson Jesse. 

Ann’s financial success 
allowed her to fulfill the 
Jewish mitzvah of tzedakah 
(charity), and she contributed 
generously to many 
organizations and causes dear 
to her heart. Jewish education 
was of utmost importance to 
Ann, and she supported local 
day schools such as Hillel, 
Frankel Jewish Academy 
and especially Yeshiva Beth 
Yehudah, who honored 
her with the Golden Torah 
Award. 
Ann made her mark on 
many other organizations, 
including Yad Ezra, Keter 
Torah, Shaarey Zedek and 
the Holocaust Foundation. 
She was a life member 
of Hadassah and ORT. 
She helped many people 
anonymously, the highest 
form of Jewish charity. 
“She believed in giving 
tzedakeh to every person 
who asks because you don’t 
want to overlook someone 
who really needs it,” said her 
son Rob.
While she loved 
this country and the 
opportunities it gave her, 
Israel was always in her heart. 
She was a founding member 
of the Michigan chapter 
of Friends of the IDF and 
remained active with the 
organization for many years.
Ann related to Jews of all 
denominations and was a 
great supporter of the local 
Orthodox community. She 
was intuitive and resourceful, 
refusing to accept that 
something could not be done. 
She was concerned about 
everyone’s well-being and 
showed the same respect to 

A Humble Visionary

RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY

Ann Newman