Janet Margaret (Zurawski) Karn

Janet Margaret (Zurawski) Karn, 75, passed away on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Memorial Hospital in South Bend after a long battle with dementia.

Janet was born on January 30, 1951, in South Bend, to the late John and Ethelyn (Towsley) Zurawski. On October 3, 1970, she married the love of her life, Lester Karn, who survives. In addition to her parents, Janet was preceded in death by her brothers, Michael, John, and Alexander Zurawski.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 56 years, Lester Karn; her children, John (April) Karn, Lester (Amy) Karn, Jr., and Penny (Wayne) Karner; her grandchildren, Nathan, Dylan, Melanie, Noah, Kyle, Jacob, and Marissa; her great-grandchildren, Daniel, Kayta, John (LJ), Alice, Ceren, and Waylon; and her siblings, Maryellen (Roger) Curry and Andrew (Karen) Zurawski.

Janet found her greatest joy in the simple pleasures of life, especially when surrounded by those she loved. She cherished camping trips – especially those to Lake Chippewa, fishing, gardening, and canning, and she never missed an opportunity to host family cookouts. Above all, Janet treasured time spent with her children and grandchildren. In recent years, one of her favorite pastimes was taking drives with Lester, enjoying the beauty of nature together—a reflection of her deep love for the outdoors.

Visitation for Janet will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026, with a funeral service beginning at 2:00 p.m., all at St. Joseph Funeral Home, 824 S. Mayflower Rd., South Bend.

Donations in honor of Janet Margaret Karn may be made to the Dementia Society of America found here: https://dementiasociety.charityproud.org/donate?

Online condolences may be offered at sjfh.net.

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