Ileana Nedelescu, 75, of Shrewsbury, MA passed into eternal life on Saturday, March 5th, 2022. She was surrounded by her loving family in the home of her son, Dr. Bogdan Nedelescu, and daughter-in-law, Sandra Nedelescu, by whom she is survived. She also leaves behind her husband of nearly fifty-one years, Tudor Nedelescu; her sister-in-law, Speranta; her daughter, Patricia, and son-in-law, Alden; a brother, Nicolae, and his wife, Olguta; and three grandchildren, Alexander, Victor, and Izumi.
Born in Vacareni, Romania, Ileana single-handedly put herself through college in Bucharest, Romania, where she later tenaciously pursued a career in education, teaching Romanian to countless generations of middle-school students. She was a driven pedagogue and a relentless supporter of her students, in whose lives she made a long-lasting impact. Many of them kept in touch with her over the decades and admired, remembered, and prayed for her lovingly until the hour of her death.
Letting actions speak louder than her words, Ileana lived her life with great dignity, modesty, and selflessness. She turned down several offers of career advancement, choosing instead to commit herself fully to her immediate responsibilities as a teacher, wife, and mother. While she was not the one to profess love in words, she practiced it daily in all her doings. Her language of devotion to her family consisted especially in cooking and tending to the needs of others, which she valiantly attempted to do until becoming bedridden. Even then, her main concern was not her own state, but the future wellbeing of her elderly husband and sister-in-law. She was an extraordinarily dutiful mother, and her greatest joy was the time spent with her grandchildren, in whose happiness and accomplishments she was greatly invested.
In her younger years, Ileana was a creative knitter, sewer, and crafter. She was a classical music lover and remained an avid reader and a deep thinker throughout her life. A quiet introvert, she found much strength in her faith and her profound appreciation of nature. Watching trees, leaves, flowers, and wild birds brought her strength of spirit and serenity, and helped her remain composed and steadfast in the face of life tribulations. She will be dearly missed and remembered for years to come.
The family expresses tremendous gratitude to Ileana’s primary physician, Dr. Susan L. Zweizig, for her exceptional expertise and professionalism. Dr. Zweizig’s compassionate, resourceful, and encouraging style of medical care provided Ileana with much courage and inner strength. Ileana often expressed her deep admiration, indebtedness, and complete trust in Dr. Zweizig. Family members also extend heartfelt thanks to the team at VNA Hospice Care for the nursing and palliative services they offered Ileana in her final weeks.
Ileana was a member of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, 35 Gold Street, Shrewsbury, MA. The family expresses deep gratitude to Fr. Nicholas Apostola for his kindness and generosity. Fr. Nicholas visited and prayed for Ileana often in her final weeks, and he will also performed her funeral service on Friday, March 11th at 11:00 a.m. in St. Nicholas Orthodox Church. Burial will follow in Hope Cemetery.