Longtime county Recorder, community activist Judy Nedwick dies

Former Lorain County Recorder and longtime community servant Judy Nedwick died Sunday at age 82, her family announced. A longtime Democratic official, Nedwick was elected recorder four times from 2004 to 2016 before being defeated in the 2020 election. Her 17-year run as recorder capped off a 36-year career as a county employee and elected official. Nedwick was an Elyria native who began working at the Lorain County Auditor's Office in 1984. She was appointed recorder in 2003, elected for the first time in 2004 and won reelection in 2008, 2012 and 2016 before losing to current officeholder Mike Doran, a Republican, in 2020. In a statement on its Facebook page Monday afternoon, the Lorain County Democratic Party wrote it was mourning "the loss of longtime public servant, member and friend." Nedwick was survived by "scores of family and friends who will miss her laughter and love," according to the party statement. "We pray that her joyful spirit will ease our grief in the days ahead. Godspeed Judy," the statement read. Born Judith Mae Yarsa in 1942, she graduated from Elyria Catholic High School in 1961 and attended both St. Jude and St. Mary Catholic parishes in Elyria. Jeff Nedwick said Monday that he will always remember his mother's work ethic, her willingness to volunteer and her deep respect for people in the Elyria and Lorain County community no matter who they were. He said he remembered his mother being very involved in Little League North when he grew up on Elyria's north side, as a member and then president of its Women's Auxiliary. "She gave 100 percent to Little League North," he said. Even in the years after Jeff Nedwick had aged out of Little League, he said he remembered sitting in the family kitchen wondering where his mother was around dinnertime. "I had been out of baseball for two years, and my mom was still over there, working, running the concession stand," Jeff Nedwick said with a laugh. One of her helpers in the concession stand was a young Elyria boy named Bart Swain — who would go on to serve as the longtime director of baseball information and player relations for the Cleveland Indians, now the Cleveland Guardians. "After a game he'd jump into concession stands and help my mom run the concession stand, and she always got a kick out of that" as a longtime Cleveland baseball fan, Jeff Nedwick said. He said his mother worked "endless hours" working at the Open Pantry convenience store on Abbe Road, then began networking with local Democrats. That led to Judy Nedwick organizing golf outings, spaghetti dinners and other fundraisers until she was hired at the county auditor's office in 1984. Nearly 20 years later, when county Recorder Mary Ann Jamison died in office in 2003, Judy Nedwick was tapped to replace her. Starting the following year, she was elected to four consecutive terms as recorder, the county official responsible for maintaining real estate records and other vital records. Judy Nedwick would later serve as president of the statewide Ohio Recorders' Association, lead the Lorain County Democratic Party and Elyria Democratic Party, and serve as vice president of the National Federation of Democratic Women. There was "hardly anybody in Elyria she didn't know," Lorain County Democratic Party Chairwoman Sharon Sweda said Monday. It didn't matter what the event was or who it was for: Judy Nedwick "always rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Always a helping hand." That included organizing and staffing the Democrats' booth at the Apple Festival for years, Sweda said. Elyria City Council President Vic Stewart, a fellow Democrat and longtime family friend, said Judy Nedwick mentored him in politics. Stewart called Judy Nedwick "the consummate public servant," beloved by her employees, committed to giving 100 percent in whatever she did and someone who left that office a better place than she found it. A "tremendous all-around person" and "kind-hearted soul who would do anything in the world for you," Stewart said, Judy Nedwick was always talking about her children and grandchildren and how proud she was of their accomplishments. Sweda described Nedwick as a good person and dear friend, and said she is going to be missed. Judy Nedwick also was member of the United Polish Club, the Kiwanis Club, Main Street Elyria and involved in Lorain County Young Democrats, according to her obituary. Nedwick also helped bring the long-running Cleveland Pops orchestra concert series to Ely Square every fall for the last 30 years. The only concert she missed in that time was the one this year due to health reasons, Jeff Nedwick said. "My mom had one of the best stories," Jeff Nedwick said, "and the most incredible part of her is her work ethic and how she provided for the family." Survivors include Jeff Nedwick; her daughter Jennifer Brown, a social worker whom Jeff Nedwick said is an "incredible" sister and daughter who cared for their mother in her final days; four grandchildren; and sisters JoAnn Nedwick and Debbie Sedar. Her husband, former Chronicle-Telegram advertising representative Francis "Sonny" Nedwick, preceded her in death. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Laubenthal Mercado Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38475 Chestnut Ridge Road, Elyria. Burial Mass is at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary Catholic Church, 320 Middle Ave. Elyria, with the Rev. Charles Diedrick officiating. Burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery in Elyria. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary Catholic Church in Elyria or Little League North, 42313 Adelbert St., Elyria, OH 44035 Jeff Nedwick said his mother was still asking questions about politics, still trying to be involved, up until shortly before her death. "No matter who you were, she treated you with respect and almost always referred to you by your name," Jeff Nedwick said. "Every time I ran into someone, they always wanted to talk about my mom." Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com