Susan Sylvester Obituary

Sylvester, Susan Olevich

Born April 6, 1948 At Peace on August 27, 2021

Sue was a quintessential southsider; wherever she wandered, Chicago was always her home. She attended St Adrian's Elementary School and graduated from Maria High School where she had been a class officer for all four years. She attended and graduated from Little Company of Mary School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse.

After she married her husband, she moved to Marshfield WI. While there, in addition to planting huge gardens, including asparagus which she didn't have a clue on how to grow, and remodeling an old farmhouse, she found work as a clinical instructor at St Joseph's School of Nursing. She was so respected there that she was invited by the students to be the graduation speaker and kept in contact with many of her students decades after they, too, became nurses.

Sue and her husband moved to San Diego and they agreed that she would go to graduate school first. She proved herself to be a stellar student, even taking her finals while extremely pregnant with her daughter.

After a 5-year sojourn in Iowa City, Sue came back home to Chicagoland where she renewed friendships. While back in the Chicago area, Sue worked at Waubonsee Community College, the University of Illinois - Chicago, and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation where she was nominated for being NMFF Employee of the year.

More than anything, Sue was a nurturer of every plant and person she came across, treating all with unconditional love and acceptance. She was a nurse and nurse educator for over 40 years, caring for her patients above and beyond the call of duty, often foregoing lunches so she could listen to patients' stories and ensure they received a proper diagnosis and treatment, staying late to fight insurance companies to cover patients' care, having her students practice blood draws on her own veins until she resembled a porcupine, and buying toys and games so younger patients wouldn't feel scared during their visits. Her every action was done with a kindness and compassion that included all and loved everyone.

Shortly after retirement, she contracted a very aggressive disease (Multiple System Atrophy) related to Parkinson's. She is survived by her husband, Duncan P Sylvester, daughter Courtney Elizabeth Sylvester, younger brother Stephen Olevich and his wife Alice, and several nephews and nieces, whom she treated as though they were her own children. She was preceded in death by her parents, William A and Elizabeth S Olevich, her older brother Willian A and his wife, Irene, Olevich.

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