Nada Syrnyk - Obituary

NADA SYRNYK March 25, 1929—September 5, 2024 Nada Syrnyk passed away on September 5, 2024 at the age of 95. Nada was a wonderful mother to her only daughter, Irene Magdalena Syrnyk, and a devoted “Baba" to her granddaughters, Alexandra Syrnyk Sippel (Merkert), her princess, and Josefine Tighe Merkert, her angel. Being with family was her true vocation and focus. She also loved her son-in-law, J. Tighe Merkert and grandson-in-law, Jake Sippel, like the sons she never had. Born in Yugoslavia, Nada would often say she "had a very hard life." By the age of 7, Nada and her sister, Maria (Kuehn), had lost both parents and were being raised by their grandparents. In 1943 as WW II raged on, Nada was forced to leave her native Yugoslavia at the age of 14 to escape the Russian invasion. She fled on foot with others from her town to a U.S. displacement camp in Bayreuth, Germany, nearly 900 miles away. There she met and later married Joseph Syrnyk, who was also forced to flee from his homeland in Ukraine. In 1951, they emigrated to the USA through Ellis Island and settled in Chicago through a sponsorship program with U.S. citizens. Coming with no money, they both worked many jobs to make a better life for themselves. It took years for Nada to finally have a child after many miscarriages, so she cherished the birth of her only daughter, Irene, when she finally arrived 9 years later. Nada and Joe were very involved in their Ukrainian Catholic community, passing along their work ethic and the importance of education. Joe went on to build a successful plumbing company in Chicago. Nada and Joe had many years of happiness with their small family and many friends in Chicago. After 30 years, friends convinced them to move to Destin, Florida for Joe’s failing health. Sadly, Joe passed away in 1991, at the young age of 64. Soon after, Nada elected to sell the Florida house and all of her belongings to move to Severna Park, Maryland to be involved in the lives of Irene and her family. She achieved her true happiness by being with her daughter, caring for her grandchildren and staying engaged in their lives. In 2017, Nada suffered a debilitating spine issue and after many operations and therapy, moved in with Tighe and Irene, where she was loved and lived until her death. In addition to her immediate family, she leaves behind her great nephews, Justin (Amy) and Joseph (Kathryn) Kuehn of Wisconsin. Her devotion to family was truly the legacy of her challenging life journey. Her sweet demeanor and kind way will be missed by many. Friends and family are invited to celebrate Nada's life on Friday, November 22, 2024 at 10:30 am at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 620 N. Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401.