Janet Lee Bergman Azaroff

Janet Lee Bergman Azaroff, age 67, died on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, at Marion General Hospital with her loving family by her side following complications from Covid pneumonia despite being vaccinated. On May 2, 1954, Jan was born in Lorain, Ohio. The younger of two children of the late Ivan Russell and Marjorie Ann (Yalman) Bergman, she was raised in a loving home with her older brother Gregory Bergman where she was encouraged to follow her dreams and was taught the value of her Jewish heritage. She graduated from Lorain Admiral King High School in the class of 1972 and then attended The Ohio State University in Columbus, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish. OSU is where she met the love of her life Gary Alan Azaroff, and they were married on June 27, 1976. They were each other’s rocks for forty five wonderful years to follow and raised two daughters: Jamie Ellen Azaroff Zmija and Renee Beth Azaroff Sprague.

After graduation, they lived in Columbus until 1978 before returning to Gary’s hometown of Marion, Ohio. While Gary took over the family business, Jan was a kindergarten teacher for the Marion City Schools. Once they started a family, Jan split her time between staying at home with their girls and substituting, working for the family businesses, and being an office manager for multiple businesses. She enjoyed being the child care director for the Marion YMCA in their old building and new building. She also helped care for several families in Columbus as both a Nanny and an Au Pair.

Proud of their Jewish heritage, Jan and Gary are members of the Temple Israel Synagogue in Marion, where she taught Sunday School and was active in their Sisterhood. She shared her love of the Jewish pastime of Mahjong with her mother, brother, daughter, son-in-law, oldest granddaughter, and her friends from Temple Israel.

Jan’s hobbies included cheering for the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cleveland Indians. She and Gary were members of the OSU Alumni Clubs in Columbus and Marion, where they would go to countless home and away games to cheer on their beloved Buckeyes. They were proud to be season ticket holders of the Cleveland Indians for twenty six years.

Everyone always turned to Jan if they ever needed anything. For Gary, they shared “a story book marriage” full of love and fulfilled their hopes and dreams together. For her daughters, Jamie and Renee, she was their best friend in the world and the go to person for everything. She adored her six grandchildren and always made each grandchild feel special. She loved being involved in their lives.

Having a heart of gold, Jan will be remembered for being such a caring, kind, thoughtful woman, who always put the needs of others before her own. She was a well-rounded, funny, smart, easy going, down to earth woman, who could do anything she put her mind to.

Left to cherish her memory are her beloved husband, Gary A. Azaroff of Marion; two daughters: Jamie (Kevin) Zmija of Columbus, and Renee (Timothy) Sprague of Cincinnati; six grandchildren: Isabel and Mason Zmija, and Samantha, Elizabeth, Benjamin and Alexandra Sprague; a brother, Gregory (Kathie) Bergman of Columbia, MO; a nephew and niece: Kyle Bergman, and Elena (Matthew) Lambert; a great-nephew, Christopher Lambert; and an abundance of relatives in the Azaroff family.

Jan was preceded in death by her mother and father Marjorie A. (Yalman) Bergman and Ivan R. Bergman and her mother-in-law and father-in-law Minnie (Yenkin) Azaroff and Joseph Azaroff.

Services honoring Jan’s life will be held at 1:30 pm on Thursday, September 23, 2021, at her graveside in Grand Prairie Cemetery, 4964 Brush Ridge Dr N, Marion, with Rabbi Simon Stratford and Student Rabbi Madeline Budman officiating. Family and friends are encouraged to come dressed wearing their favorite OSU Buckeyes and Cleveland Indians attire. For those unable to attend, you can watch the livestream of her services via the Snyder Funeral Homes Denzer Chapel Facebook (https://www. facebook.com/ DenzerChapelSFH/).

Memorial contributions may be made to the Temple Israel Sisterhood, 850 Mt. Vernon Ave., Marion, OH 43302 and the American Diabetes Association (https://www.diabetes. org/donate/donate-memorial).

Snyder Funeral Homes, Denzer Chapel, are honored to serve Jan’s family and your condolences may be expressed to them by visiting www.SnyderFuneralHomes.com.