Najla Jarjour

Najla (Tomeh) Jarjour, 96, of Fort Wayne, IN, passed away on July 20, 2025, she was a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to countless people. Her positive outlook and wisdom will be missed by all who had the good fortune of knowing her. She was born in the small picturesque mountain village of Beit Shbat in French Mandate Syria on September 11, 1928. Losing her father, Chida Tamer, in the early 1940s, meant she had to take on great family responsibilities at an early age to assist her mother, Jamila Jarrouj, who was left with the responsibility of raising her 6 daughters and son on her own. After graduating from American Evangelical School in Tripoli, Lebanon, she landed a job with the Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC), a British firm, in Homs, Syria. It is there that she caught the eye of a young field engineer, Wilson Jarjour. They married August 28, 1955 and set off to America in 1957 on The MS Augustus, with their 1-year-old son Nazih in tow.

Starting their new life, they were greeted by family and the Statue of Liberty upon their arrival in New York. They proceeded to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where Wilson pursued engineering at Indiana Tech. Meanwhile, Najla dedicated herself to cultivating a loving, nurturing family home in Indian Village. Najla, a woman of deep faith, immediately adored the city for its many churches. They found their spiritual home at First Presbyterian Church. She maintained a lifelong connection with the church, serving as a deacon, ambassador, and Sunday School teacher, and celebrating her Jubilee Membership in 2007. This is where many lasting friendships blossomed, including one with the late Frank and Martha Blosser, who became like "grandparents" to the Jarjour children. Further challenges arose in 1978 with the passing of her beloved husband, Wilson Jarjour. Having not been employed since her time in Syria, aside from her successful venture as an Avon lady, she secured a position as a Teacher's Aide with the Fort Wayne Community Schools. She embraced this role wholeheartedly for nearly two decades, thriving in her work with children, a passion she held dear. "Mrs. J" positively impacted many lives. Concurrently, for 15 years, she also achieved success as a Real Estate agent while overseeing several family rental properties. She consistently met life's challenges with love, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of humor, always believing in the therapeutic power of laughter. Her retirement years were filled with spending as much time as she could with her grandchildren, volunteering for the Red Cross and the American Cancer Society, and frequent trips to California to spend time with her son and his family. She enjoyed playing bridge with friends and looked fondly back on the years she spent at Canterbury Green. Najla is survived by her sons Nazih (Ragheda), Paul (former wife Cindy), and Sam (Paula). She was a loving grandmother to Alan, Jimmy, Jackie (Justin), Ally (Andrew), Crystal, Gabe, and Adam and a great-grandmother to Chloe, Clive, and Clark. She is also survived by her sisters Mary Tomeh (Syria), Anisi Mahfoud (Wadia) (Detroit), Fadwa Matar (Los Angeles), and Collette Audar (Ramallah, Palestine), as well as countless cherished nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her siblings Salam, Suad, and Gabriel Tomeh. Najla made many friends along the way. Najla lived a long life and impacted the lives of countless others. One of her favorite things to say, multiple times a day, was "Nishkar Allah" (Thank God). Nishkar Allah for having her in our lives for 96 years. Funeral service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, July 26, 2025 at Greenlawn Funeral Home, 6750 Covington Rd., Ft. Wayne, IN 46804 with calling to be held from 11 am to 2 pm prior. Burial will take place immediately following in Greenlawn Memorial Park, Ft. Wayne, IN. Preferred memorials to First Presbyterian Church of Fort Wayne, IN. To leave online condolences, please visit www.hockemeyermillerfh.com.