Irene Sopko/Demko Smolak

Early Sun morning, Feb 1st, our beloved mother, Irene Smolak (Sopko) (Demko), passed away peacefully in her sleep. She was 87 ½-years-old and had lived a full and interesting life! A resident of Thousand Oaks for 55 years, she was a devout Catholic and prayed the Holy Rosary nearly every day of her life!

Irene was the 3rd of eight children born to Andrew and Mary Strunak Demko. As a young woman, Irene attended Webster University in Webster Groves, MO for a year, and worked very hard all of her life! She also worked for the state of California at Ventura School in Camarillo for 25 years.

Irene was the best baker in the world! Some of her specialties were her mouth-watering pies, especially apple, pumpkin and lemon meringue. She also baked wonderful chocolate, banana, and bundt cakes, as well as delicious cookies at Christmastime!

She is survived by three children, the first-born, Michelle El-Chayeb (Sopko) and her identical twin sons, Michael (Donna) Sopko and Christopher (Marlene Davis) Sopko; five sisters, Helen Demko, Mary Lower, Veronica Dieckman, Theresa Demko, and Patricia Balso, four of whom still live in OH; and four grandchildren, James, Jessika, Matthew and Tiffany Sopko.

Our mother is preceded in death George Smolak; her beloved parents; and two brothers who both died as infants and who she never knew. May they all be at peace and living in joy in Heaven and may Jesus and the Blessed Mother be with them.

Our Mother was truly loved and is already deeply missed.

A Vigil will be held Sun, Feb 8th from 5-8pm at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Mortuary in Westlake Village, CA. A Funeral Mass will be held on Mon, Feb 9th at 10:30am at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks, CA, culminating with a burial at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in Westlake Village, CA, in the Garden of Gethsemane.