Tammy R. (nee: Caldwell) Balog

Tammy R. Balog (nee: Caldwell), age 50, of Mentor, passed away Monday, April, 26, 2021 at University Hospital, Cleveland. She was born June, 24, 1970 in Cleveland. Tammy’s goal in life was to make the world around her a better place, doing so through love, creativity, intellect, and dedication. She had more friends than she knew, for it was hard not to love her, and we are all better for having known her. Her home is a reflection of her creativity and taste. Every room has a particular color scheme and design appropriate to its purpose, and if it was no longer to her liking she had no compunction about redecorating and remodeling. Her love of metals—wrought iron, bronze, and copper—is evident in the décor, in bathroom fixtures, sconces, and decorative features. Tammy’s creativity also shone in the kitchen. Though well-known for being picky in her eating habits, she loved to try new recipes, flavors, and techniques to expand her palate and improve her health. If she didn’t like something, she would change the recipe if she thought it could be done better or scrap it if she couldn’t. Games were another passion. She loved to play board games and enjoyed table-top role-playing and video games. Her favorites dealt with strategy and puzzles, challenging her intellect to decipher clues and build a stratagem to conquer obstacles. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English, stemming from a life-long love of reading. Her shelves are filled with classics, poetry, and fantasy, and she spent many hours deep into one book or another, whether a physical copy or downloaded. Tammy’s coworkers would be the first to recognize her dedication. Her work ethic was beyond reproach as she strove zealously for perfection to make everyone else’s tasks easier. Should any family issues arise, Tammy was always the first with a plan and the will to make certain that the situation was handled properly. Survivors include her husband of 14 years, David F. Balog; parents, Robert and Paula Caldwell; siblings, Christopher (Julie) Caldwell, Cherie (Tariq) Iqbal and Jason Caldwell; mother-in-law, Debbie Neal; life-long friend, Dawn Konscol and cat, Kyo. Preceding her in death are her dogs, Koga and Shinji. A memorial celebration in Tammy’s honor will be held 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., Monday, May 3, 2021 at Veterans Memorial Park, 5730 Hopkins Rd. Mentor, Ohio, 44060. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made in memory of Tammy to Cuyahoga County Animal Shelter, 9500 Sweet Valley Dr, Valley View, OH 44125. Arrangements entrusted to the Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. Offer condolences at www.brunners.com.

Tammy R. (nee: Caldwell) Balog

June 24, 1970 - April 26, 2021