Jana A. Lintz

Jana Lintz, 37, of Sylvania, Ohio, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Wednesday, May 6th in Toledo, Ohio. Jana was born on May 18th, 1988 in Toledo, Ohio to David and Karen (Deily) Lintz. Despite being born with Friedreich's ataxia (a rare neuromuscular degenerative disease) she rarely complained as her illness progressed, instead focusing on others. She was one of the sweetest, most thoughtful, and most compassionate people you could meet. Even as a child, if she received a piece of candy, she could not enjoy it unless her three sisters also got candy, going so far as to divide her piece, no matter how small, into four equal pieces.

Since childhood, she absolutely adored bright blue skies! She could never resist commenting on a beautiful day or remarking on a clear blue sky. As her eyesight started to fail, she’d ask her mother every morning if the sky was a beautiful blue, and she’d smile if the answer was “yes.” 

She very much enjoyed playing games (with lots of laughing), eating good food, reading, sharing terribly corny jokes, traveling (favorite trip to Australia), gardening, and dolphins. She especially loved the happy color yellow, even as a child. She also had a love of language, the history of language, funny words, and fun poems. She loved it so much that she got her Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics from the University of Toledo.

As an adult, Jana had a passion for children, sponsoring multiple children through World Vision and heading up the Operation Christmas Child organization at her church every year, donating numerous Christmas boxes herself. She also loved to send homemade birthday cards, often with googly eyes, so people knew they were loved. If you knew Jana, she had your birthday memorized from the moment she found out when it was. Instantly memorizing birthdays was amusingly referred to as her superpower. 

Jana found her greatest peace in her unwavering faith in her savior Jesus Christ, which was an inspiration to everyone, and her love for her family. Her favorite way to spend time was with her sisters (and brothers-in-law), nieces, nephews, and her many cousins, all of whom particularly enjoyed making Jana laugh, because it was so easy to do and so infectious. Jana was very quick to laugh, and you could not help laughing right along with her. Her laughter was so iconic that it became known as “the Jana laugh,” and just remembering it makes anyone who knew her smile. 

Jana will be buried in West Virginia, at the little church on the mountain right next to where her father and grandfather grew up. It is a gorgeous spot that Jana always loved. She will be buried there with her beloved grandparents and great grandparents. Jana is survived by her parents David and Karen Lintz, siblings Sarah (Brooks) Elson, Laura (Christian) Medel, Rebecca Lintz, and nieces and nephews Elliana, Steele, Zane, and Bria Elson. It’s ironic that in the end it was her physical heart that failed her, as her spiritual heart was so strong. Jana’s heart was strongly connected to the ministries of World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse, so we ask that in lieu of flowers you would donate to one of those ministries in her honor. That would really make her smile.

“To live is Christ and to die is gain.” - Philippians 1:21

For more information on World Vision, visit https://www.worldvision.org/donate For more information on Samaritan’s Purse, visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/about-us/ For more information about Friedreich's ataxia, visit https://www.curefa.org

Jana's family will receive guests on Friday, May 15, 2026 from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Newcomer Funeral Home - West Sylvania Chapel, 3655 King Rd, Toledo. A Memorial Service will immediately follow at 7:00 pm.

To leave a special message for Jana's family, please visit the Guestbook below.