Irena M. Suszko, age 85, was reunited with Our Lord on July 31, 2019 after a protracted illness.

Born in Poland in 1934, to parents Nicholai and Stanislawa Suszko, Irena had traveled thru and lived in several countries while still a teen, including India, Iran, and Uganda, and remained a world traveler all her life, interested in indigenous cultures.  Her brother Peter P. Suszko and sister Helen Yarnold preceded her in death.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, Champaign 1957, and the University of Illinois at Chicago's Navy Pier, Irena was a published research scientist in Immunology, working at Northwestern Illinois university, and went on in her career to help with the development of an anti-rejection drug for pediatric organ transplant patients. Her last job before retirement was at Fujisawa Pharmaceuticals.  Irena was a very devout Catholic and yet did not consider her faith at odds with her scientific career, considering them to be complimentary paths to the same enlightenment. Her many travels from a young age to maturity, gave her a perspective on the human condition and informed her embrace of all peoples and cultures.

Irena was a patron of the arts, supporting the Chicago Symphony, and deeply appreciated classical music…  as well as classic Universal Studios horror movies and even The three Stooges.  She enjoyed skiing and an active outdoor lifestyle from a young age, participating in Polish Girl Scouting jamborees here and in Canada.

Irena was beloved by all her nieces and nephews; If you wanted a "fun" babysitter, Aunt Irena was who you pestered your parents to call. She would take the kids on adventurous journeys all over Chicago. As the nieces and nephews grew more mature, Irena was there as a sympathetic sounding board and supportive mentor, helping them thru college and careers.

She is survived by nephews Mark Suszko, Anthony Suszko, James Yarnold, Paul Yarnold; grand-nephew John Rosero; niece Ursula Suszko; sister-in-law Jadwiga Suszko, Michelle Borysow; brother-in-law Casimir Borysow; nephews Michael Borysow, Paul Borysow; niece Melissa Borysow Wiggs.

Visitation Saturday, August 3, 2019 at 12:30 p.m. at Old St Mary's Catholic Church, 1500 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60605 until the time of the 1:00 p.m. Funeral Mass. Interment Maryhill Catholic Cemetery, 8600 North Milwaukee Avenue, Niles, Illinois 60714.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children's Charities, the Chicago Symphony, or Old Saint Mary's Parish.

For further information please call 312-421-0936.