Sylvia R. Jara

Columbiana - Sylvia R. Pope Jara, a former teacher and active community volunteer, died May 24, 2026, Pentecost Sunday, after a brief battle with leukemia. She was 76.

Born December 11, 1949, in Youngstown, Ohio, Sylvia built a life centered on faith and simple pleasures. She spent many years in special education, a field in which she was devoted to helping her students learn and grow, after retiring, she continually sought to influence the lives around her in a positive way. She remained active as a volunteer and in her church community, where she made many friends.

She spent her early years in New Bedford, PA and graduated from Wilmington Area High School in 1967. She graduated from Youngstown State University in 1971 earning a bachelor's degree in education. Upon graduation, she taught special education on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and subsequently at school districts in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Sylvia and her family spent many years in Edinboro, PA prior to her and her husband Michael Jara relocating to Columbiana, Ohio in 2018.

She enjoyed time outdoors and especially liked visiting state and national parks, and other natural areas. She was known for her enjoyment of corny jokes, which she shared often and with great delight, as well as her interest in card games and crafts. Those who knew her will remember her sense of humor, and the lasting impression she made on their lives. She was an avid pro-life advocate being one of the founders of a Pregnancy Aid Center in the college town of Edinboro, PA. One of her greatest joys for the last 7 years was delivering a monthly encouraging Christian message to juvenile delinquents at the Tobin Attention Center in Lisbon, Ohio. God gave her a teaching gift and she used it fully. He will surely say to her, “well done my good and faithful servant!"

She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Michael, daughters Amy (Peter) Arden and Christine (Melanie) Jara; sisters Ruth Fletcher and Kathleen Trock-Molhoek. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Ann Pope, and her brother Russell Pope.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, with a time of sharing memories from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM followed by Pastoral prayer, at the Warrick-Kummer-Rettig Funeral Home, Columbiana, Ohio.

Burial will take place after cremation at Villa Maria Cemetery, Villa Maria, PA at a later date in June after a celebration of life at the Nazarene Church in Columbiana.

Memorial donations may be made to Samaritan's Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607 or PreBorn! PO Box 78221, Indianapolis, Indiana 46278.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Warrick-Kummer-Rettig Funeral Home, Columbiana, Ohio.

Family and friends may view this obituary and send condolences at www.familycareservices.com