Joseph Jara

AUSTINTOWN - Joseph Jara, 89, passed away peacefully Sunday evening, May 19, 2019, at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital with family by his side.

Joseph was born Jan. 12, 1930, in Zurowa, Poland, the youngest of seven children born to Thomas and Katherine Jara. At the onset of World War II, Joseph and his family were taken by the Russian Army and sent to a Siberian work camp, where they remained for the duration of the war.

Joseph returned to his homeland of Poland after the war, but was unhappy living under another Communist regime. He fled Poland on foot, crossing through East Germany before seeking refuge in West Germany. He came to the United States in 1957 and eventually settled in the Youngstown area, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He was incredibly proud of both his Polish heritage and American citizenship, often sporting a “USA” baseball cap.

Joseph worked for over 30 years at Extrusion Dies as a milling machine operator.

He was a long-time parishioner of St. Brendan Church in Youngstown and was an avid bingo player. Mr. Jara was a master at home improvement, and he loved watching Westerns and pro wrestling with his grandson.

He will always be remembered lovingly by his daughter, Julie Franken of Austintown, and his two grandchildren, Tom and Jenn.

His beloved wife of nearly 37 years, Julia Sharek Jara, whom he married June 13, 1960, passed away May 9, 1997. Several siblings also preceded him in death.

Family and friends may call from noon to 1 p.m., Friday, May 24, at St. Brendan Church, 2800 Oakwood Ave., Youngstown, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m., with Rev. William Loveless officiating.

Burial will take place at Resurrection Cemetery in Austintown, where Joseph will be laid to rest next to his wife.

In lieu of flowers, Joseph’s family requests that donations may be made in his name to Falcon Animal Rescue, 6520 Mahoning Ave., Austintown, OH 44515.