Roz Varon (born November 25, 1957) is an American broadcast journalist and author. She spent 35 years as the traffic and transportation anchor at ABC7 Chicago and was the first TV traffic reporter on morning news in Chicago.
She retired on April 5, 2024.
Who is Roz Varon?
Roz Varon is an American broadcast journalist, Emmy Award-winning television anchor, author, and motivational speaker. She spent 35 years as the traffic and transportation anchor at ABC7 Chicago (WLS-TV), a station owned by ABC News.
When ABC7 launched its morning newscast in April 1989, Varon joined as its first traffic reporter. She became Chicago’s first broadcast television traffic anchor and one of the first in the entire country to bring live traffic reporting to morning television news.
Her career extended beyond traffic reporting to include transportation coverage, the weekly lifestyle segment “Weekender,” and advocacy work for cancer awareness and animal welfare. She also authored a travel book drawn from her personal journeys.
Varon retired from ABC7 on April 5, 2024, after 35 years on the station. Her final broadcast marked the end of one of the longest runs in Chicago morning news history.
Early Life of Roz Varon
Roz Varon was born on November 25, 1957, in New York, United States. Her father, Jack Varon, served as a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard.
Her father Jack Varon passed away at age 84, just four days after his birthday on August 1. Her mother, Bea Varon, and her sister, Pam Varon, remain part of her family circle.
Varon later relocated to the Chicago area, where she has lived for more than three decades. By the time of her retirement, she resided in River Forest, a western suburb of Chicago.
Roz Varon Age
Roz Varon is 68 years old as of June 14, 2026, born on November 25, 1957. Her zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
She retired from ABC7 Chicago on April 5, 2024, after 35 years as the station’s traffic and transportation anchor.
Roz Varon Ethnicity and Nationality
Varon holds American nationality. Her ethnicity is White, and her religious background is Jewish.
Her father’s military service in the U.S. Air Force shaped her early family life. Born in New York and based in Chicago for most of her adult life, she considers Chicago her professional home.
Roz Varon Education
Varon completed her high school education before enrolling at Columbia College Chicago in 1979. She graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Communications.
While studying at Columbia College, she worked on-air at the campus radio station WCRX. That early radio experience gave her the technical foundation for her career.
After graduation, she spent approximately nine years working as a radio traffic reporter. That radio background preceded her transition to television in 1989.
Roz Varon Career
Roz Varon’s broadcast career began in radio, where she spent roughly nine years reporting traffic before moving to television. She heard in late 1988 that ABC7 was planning to launch a morning newscast and wanted to incorporate traffic reporting, which had never been done in morning news before.
She auditioned and, by her own account, did not perform well. She made a second audition tape and received a call from the station’s general manager offering her the job with the words: “Be careful what you ask for, it might come true.”
Varon joined ABC7 Chicago in April 1989 as the inaugural traffic anchor for “ABC7 Eyewitness News This Morning.” That made her Chicago’s first morning news TV traffic reporter and one of the first in the entire country.
Early Career and Expanding Role
In the years following her start, Varon expanded her role at ABC7 beyond traffic reporting. She developed and hosted “Weekender,” a weekly segment covering metro Chicago events and lifestyle topics.
She also produced and hosted a series called “Faces of Inspiration,” a broadcast special highlighting cancer survivors. That project earned her the Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Award for best public affairs programming.
Varon also partnered with the Chicago Fire Department and ABC7 on the “Operation Save-A-Life” campaign, promoting fire safety and public service. That partnership spanned more than five years.
Cancer Diagnosis and Advocacy
In 2006, Varon received a diagnosis of Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. She successfully completed treatment and chose to use her platform to raise cancer awareness rather than keep the diagnosis private.
She became an in-demand motivational speaker on cancer prevention and survival, telling the Chicago Sun-Times that she wanted to show cancer is “not necessarily a death sentence.” Her advocacy work earned her the Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Award, presented in April 2012.
Varon also received the NATAS Silver Circle Award, recognizing 25 or more years of distinguished service to the television industry.
Retirement
Varon announced her retirement on-air at ABC7 on February 21, 2024. Her final broadcast aired on April 5, 2024.
ABC7 President and General Manager John Idler said in a statement: “There’s no doubt that Roz’s pioneering efforts on the traffic beat have paved the way for others in Chicago and around the country.”
Since retiring, Varon has continued her cancer advocacy and motivational speaking. She established the Sara Janz Memorial Scholarship Fund in January 2025 in honor of her daughter.
Roz Varon Awards and Recognition
Varon received multiple Emmy Awards across several categories, including Traffic Reporting, Specialty Programming, Spot News, and Features, during her career at ABC7 Chicago.
She won several Peter Lisagor Awards from the Chicago Headline Club, including one for her “Weekender” series. The Peter Lisagor Award is among the most prestigious honors for journalism in the Chicago region.
Her additional honors include the Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Award for “Faces of Inspiration,” the Girl Scouts of the USA Thanks Badge recognizing her as a community role model, and the NATAS Silver Circle Award for distinguished service in television.
Roz Varon Books
Varon authored On the Road with Roz: Adventures in Travel and Life, a book combining personal travel writing with photography. The collection covers her journeys along Route 66 and around the world with her family.
The book blends personal storytelling with her well-known voice from decades of broadcast journalism. It reflects both her career and her private life as a traveler and family member.
Roz Varon Husband
Roz Varon reportedly married Glenn Kedzie on June 11, 2005. The couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows in Maui, where they had also honeymooned a decade earlier.
Glenn is not Sara’s biological father but reportedly embraced her as his own. Details about the couple’s current marital status are not publicly confirmed as of June 2026.
Varon has long been associated with the western suburbs of Chicago, where she lived with her family and her pets, including two dogs and a cat.
Roz Varon Children
Roz Varon had one daughter, Sara Beth Janz, born October 11, 1994. Sara was an alum of Columbia College Chicago and served on the junior board of the Chicago chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
In January 2025, Sara passed away at age 29 in New Mexico, where she had recently relocated to be with her husband. Varon publicly announced her daughter’s passing and subsequently established the Sara Janz Memorial Scholarship Fund in her memory.
Sara had also been a NATAS Chicago Scholarship recipient during her lifetime, connecting her mother’s professional community to her own.
Roz Varon Net Worth
Roz Varon’s estimated net worth is $1.5 million as of 2026. Her income came primarily from her 35-year career as a traffic anchor at ABC7 Chicago, one of the country’s most prominent local news stations.
Her earnings also include income from her book On the Road with Roz, speaking engagements as a cancer awareness advocate, and television awards that came with industry recognition throughout her career.
ABC7 anchors and reporters at her level typically earned annual salaries in the range of $70,000 to $120,000, based on industry benchmarks for experienced local news professionals at major market stations.
Roz Varon Social Media
Varon maintained a presence on social media during her time at ABC7 Chicago. Her verified Instagram handle is not publicly confirmed as of June 2026.
She is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Chicago and Midwest Chapter, and has served on the organization’s Board of Governors. That institutional affiliation kept her connected to the broadcast journalism community throughout her career and into retirement.
She also volunteered with the Anti-Cruelty Society and PAWS Chicago, two Chicago-area animal welfare organizations, reflecting a consistent commitment to pet adoption and rescue work throughout her career.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Roz Varon’s role or position?
Roz Varon served as Traffic and Transportation Anchor at ABC7 Chicago (WLS-TV) from April 1989 until her retirement on April 5, 2024.
How old is Roz Varon?
Roz Varon is 68 years old as of June 14, 2026, born on November 25, 1957, in New York.
What is Roz Varon’s net worth?
Roz Varon’s estimated net worth is $1.5 million as of 2026, accumulated through 35 years of broadcast journalism at ABC7 Chicago.
Where did Roz Varon study?
Varon attended Columbia College Chicago, graduating in 1980 with a B.A. in Broadcast Communications. She also worked on-air at the campus station WCRX while studying.
Who is Roz Varon married to?
Varon reportedly married Glenn Kedzie on June 11, 2005. Her current marital status as of June 2026 is not publicly confirmed.
What awards has Roz Varon won?
Varon won multiple Emmy Awards in Traffic Reporting, Specialty Programming, Spot News, and Features, along with several Peter Lisagor Awards, the Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Award, and the NATAS Silver Circle Award.
The Bottom Line
Roz Varon joined ABC7 Chicago in April 1989 as the city’s first morning news television traffic reporter, a role she held for 35 years before retiring on April 5, 2024. During that time she won multiple Emmy Awards, multiple Peter Lisagor Awards, and the Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Award for her cancer awareness series “Faces of Inspiration.”
After her Stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis in 2006, Varon became a public voice for cancer awareness and an in-demand motivational speaker on the subject. She authored On the Road with Roz: Adventures in Travel and Life, a travel memoir drawn from family journeys along Route 66 and around the world.
In January 2025, she honored her late daughter Sara Beth Janz by establishing the Sara Janz Memorial Scholarship Fund. We hope you enjoyed reading about Roz Varon. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!