Irena Jurcik

Irena was born in Horne Opatovce in Slovakia on May 13, 1925 to Stefan and Maria Durik. She was the fourth of five children and outlived all her siblings. After completing high school at age 16, she moved to Bratislava to live with her sister and work as a secretary. She met her husband, Stefan Jurcik, married at age 19, and started a family. Her first son, Igor, was born in Prague and her second son, Mario, was born in the very same house that she was born in. When she was 24, the family moved to the United States, where her third child, Yvonne, was born.

Irena worked full time, cooked, baked, gardened, and managed the household. Her home was so clean that we laughed that you could eat off her garage floor. She was first and foremost a mother to her children. She showed her love by cooking, ensuring that her loved ones were always well fed. Irena always thought of others before herself. She instilled her values of honesty, empathy, and hard work to her children. She felt they were her greatest accomplishment and took immense pride in their achievements. She was more than happy to be the central figure in their lives.

Irena was widowed in her early 50s and lived independently until 90. Unfortunately, her first born, Igor, died tragically at age 50. Her last 8 years were spent in Florida so she could be closer to her daughter Yvonne. Mario never failed to call her daily, which always brought a smile to her face.

She is survived by her children Mario (Luci) and Yvonne, her grandchildren Mike (Stacey), Alex (Kristin), and Liz, and great grandchildren Kelsey and John. She was very loved and will be missed terribly.

Friends and family will gather for a visitation for Irena that will take place at Woodlawn Funeral Home in Forest Park, Illinois on September 5th, 2023 at 9:00 AM followed by a prayer service at 11:00 AM. She will be interred at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside adjacent to her husband.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.woodlawnchicago.com for the Jurcik family.