Verna Jean Yontz

Verna Jean Yontz, age 92 of Akron joined her beloved husband Jim and son Jimmy in Heaven on August 5, 2026. She was born on May 24, 1934 to the late Michael and Mildred {Bugarski} Zivkovich.

In addition to her parents, Verna was preceded in death by her husband James Yontz and their son James "Jimmy" Yontz.

Verna is survived by her loving daughters Lori (Brad) Ferrell and Lisa (Ed) Wills; grandchildren Lauren (Juan), Ashly, Mark and Jimmy; great-grandchildren, Elianna and Noah; several nieces and nephews.

A proud daughter of immigrants from Yugoslavia, Verna grew up in the Firestone Park neighborhood of Akron. She attended Voris Elementary School and graduated from Garfield High School. One of her fondest memories from that time that she would often share was carrying pink bathroom tiles up to the bathroom of the house her carpenter father was building in Firestone Park, a home that remains in the family to this day.

Verna married her beloved Jim in January of 1955, just before he left to serve in the Army in Korea. Despite being a world apart, they stayed connected through countless letters and photos. Together, she and Jim raised their three children. Following Jim’s passing in 1976, Verna became the true embodiment of strength and resilience, continuing to raise their family as a single mother. She was always supportive and there for her kids.

A hard worker and community staple, Verna dedicated over 30 years to her career at Sears. She was also deeply involved with the Grenadier’s Military Corps, as well as the Akron Majorettes and Drum Corps in the 1970s. She brought so much fun and personality to those years, complete with her signature go-go boots.

Verna was always game for an adventure and found joy in life’s simple pleasures. She loved going to estate sales and wandering through Macy's just to look around. She didn’t need to buy anything to have a good time. Her granddaughter Ashly will never forget the look on her face discovering hundreds of Christmas village houses (which she loved) in an estate sale basement, or the memorable moment she accidentally knocked over an expensive vase at Pier 1. She loved the ocean and once shared an unforgettable evening on the beach with Lori that ended with Verna mooning her twice under a full moon. On a trip to South Carolina, she insisted on visiting Magnolia Plantation and insisted on going out of the way to see the famous "Angel Oak" tree, even with a heat index over 100 degrees.

In the summers, she grew the biggest, most beautiful geraniums and loved looking out on her well-manicured yard through her big bay window. Around the holidays, her home was known for its signature blue and green lit Christmas tree and the smell of Serbian Vanilla Bean cookies and her famous homemade apricot Kiffles. Many of her recipes were in Serbian and only she could read them, swearing she would never share these secret family recipes with anyone (spoiler: she did eventually share them). It simply wasn't Christmas without Christmas Eve dinner at her house, a cherished tradition that continued even as she grew older. Verna cherished her family deeply and loved gathering together for reunions, picnics, birthdays, and holiday celebrations.

To her oldest grandchildren, she was affectionately known as "Baba" (or "Ba"), which is the Serbian word for grandma. She was a dedicated, loving, and a wise grandmother who always made individual time for her grandkids, starting with early memories of sitting on the living room floor doing puzzles together. Her granddaughters will forever cherish the memories of packing their red "going to grandma's" overnight suitcases, trick-or-treating in Goodyear Heights, playing with Uncle Jimmy’s old die-cast cars, and decorating her Christmas village every year (and later hanging stars and a tiny sleigh from her bay window, to the delight of the whole neighborhood). With her grandsons, she loved watching old episodes of Lawrence Welk and dancing to The Wiggles, and could always be counted on to pick them up from school with a cold drink and a snack in hand. Above all, she was always a listening ear and a great source of advice. Even if she didn’t have the answer, she’d have a pop or a root beer float ready to cheer them up and help them talk through it.

That same generous devotion was passed down to her great-grandchildren. She loved spoiling them and didn't need a special occasion to give randomly to those she loved. She would often buy little decorations and jewelry to personally decorate Elianna’s favorite Beanie Boos, giving them some added sparkly flair. She also got such a kick out of having Noah teach her how to navigate all new and unfamiliar technology. 

Verna’s strength, warmth, and wonderful sense of humor will be deeply missed by all who were lucky enough to know and love her.

Family and friends are invited to a graveside service at Holy Cross Cemetery, 100 E Waterloo Rd. Akron, OH 44319 on Tuesday, August 11th at 11:30 a.m. For those wishing to attend, please arrive at the entrance of the cemetery closest to S Main St. (off Waterloo) no later than 11:20 a.m. To leave a special message for Verna's family, please visit the guest book below.