Judith K. (Bartels) Cebriak

YOUNGSTOWN - Judith K. (Bartels) Cebriak, 83, of Austintown, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Tuesday afternoon, September 9, 2025 at home with her family by her side. Following a 13-year remission from cancer, Judy courageously battled its recurrence over the past three years.

Born December 31, 1941, in Youngstown, Ohio, Judy was the only daughter of Robert F. "Fred" Bartels and Marcella (Cunningham) Bartels. In 1950, the family moved to Austintown. She graduated from Austintown Fitch High School in 1959. While there, she enjoyed four years as a majorette, including her senior year as head majorette. She served as co-editor of the Fitch Courier, the student newspaper. She was active in student council and an officer in Latin and Spanish clubs. She joined Future Teachers of America and fell in love with educating young children in the Cadet Teacher program. Teaching was to be her life-long endeavor.

After high school, Judy worked full-time at Century Foods Markets (later Loblaws) in bookkeeping and order management, while simultaneously taking teacher education classes at Youngstown University. In 1962, she began teaching at Austintown and then Boardman schools on a temporary certificate. In 1964, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Education, cum laude.

On August 10, 1963, Judy married her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Tony Cebriak. In 1965, Judy and Tony made their home in Austintown, and she paused her teaching career to raise their two sons, Todd and Rob. She resumed teaching in 1976 as an elementary school tutor for students with learning disabilities and, in 1984, she began teaching first grade at Davis Elementary School in Austintown.

Judy was devoted to her first-grade students. To improve her effectiveness in the classroom, she completed her Master of Arts in Education from The College of Mount Saint Joseph on the Ohio in 1987. She was later recognized for her excellence in teaching when she was named a Jennings Scholar by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation in 1993. Her passion for education continued beyond her retirement in 2006 with participation in the Gamma Pi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International for women educators.

Outside of the classroom, Judy's passion for childhood education expanded further and continued for decades beyond retirement. She volunteered with the Goodwill Industries Vision Screening program to evaluate preschool children and detect early signs of amblyopia and other early childhood developmental vision disorders. She tutored young children needing special assistance with reading and reading comprehension. For more than ten years, she selected children's books that were obtained by the Rotary Club of Austintown, presented as recognition gifts to the club's guest speakers, and then donated to Austintown Elementary School.

She enthusiastically supported her husband throughout his career as the director of the Canfield High School Band. A talented seamstress, she created hand-sewn flags and uniforms for both the flag and rifle lines. She attended hundreds of high school band functions, concerts, and other school music events, including chaperoning many band trips. In addition, she made time to support the broader community and spent many years as a volunteer, serving meals at the Rescue Mission of the Mahoning Valley.

Judy was most recently a member of Ohltown United Methodist Church of Mineral Ridge and Western Reserve United Methodist Church of Canfield, following more than 65 years of membership at Calvary Baptist Church of Boardman. Over the years, she sang regularly in the choir, served on various church committees, volunteered at many church events, and enjoyed socializing in Calvary Baptist's golf league for married couples. She lived her life with a strong, quiet, and enduring faith that was her foundation and shaped her family.

Judy enjoyed driving with Tony to visit her children and grandchildren in Columbus, Ohio as well as their travels together to Ohio's Amish country, western Pennsylvania, and New York's wine region. A life-long learner, she took a particular interest in the Amish community, acquiring Amish artwork, books, cookbooks, and other treasures that were part of her home decor. Judy loved a good mental challenge as well-everything from intricate 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzles to nightly crosswords and her page-a-day calendar of Mensa brain puzzlers.

Her favorite room in the house was the kitchen where she prepared special treats for family and friends, including her famous chocolate chip cookies, over a dozen kinds of Christmas cookies, and her own twist on Chicken Kiev. She loved celebrating holiday traditions with family most of all. She enjoyed creating home-sewn and embroidered gifts, trimming the trees, and reveling in her collection of animated Christmas decorations. This brought her such joy. She was always a kid at heart.

Judy will be remembered as a caring and loving soul who had a very special, close bond with her own mother as well as being a loyal and loving wife, mother, grandmother, friend, neighbor, and caregiver. She was always present with gentle compassion, a witty sense of humor, and wise words for her children as well as adults. She was a loving, irresistible force of nature in the lives of her family and the people around her.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, Robert F. "Fred" Bartels and Marcella (Cunningham) Bartels, and will be deeply missed by her family: her loving husband of 62 years, Tony Cebriak, her two children Todd (Jean Marie Nemeti) Cebriak and Rob (Christina) Cebriak, both of Columbus, Ohio, and her two grandchildren, Alex and Madeline Cebriak.

The family extends their gratitude to Kylie, a family friend and registered nurse with Mercy Health Hospice of Valley. The family is also thankful for the long-time camaraderie and compassion of many close friends and neighbors.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Ohltown United Methodist Church, 2001 Ohltown Rd, Mineral Ridge, OH 44440 with a memorial service to immediately follow in the church at 11:00 a.m. The church is wheelchair accessible.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Higgins-Reardon Funeral Home, Austintown Chapel, including interment at Green Haven Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, the Cebriak family requests that contributions may be made in Judy's memory to Ohltown United Methodist Church (above); Yellow Brick Place Cancer Support Center, 2959 Canfield Rd., Suite 2, Youngstown, OH 44511, https://yellowbrickplace.org/ or Second Harvest Food Bank of Mahoning Valley, 2805 Salt Springs Rd., Youngstown, OH 44509, https://mahoningvalleysecondharvest.org/