KILMARNOCK—On September 22, 2019, Irene Andrews Novak passed away a day after her 93 birthday.
She is survived by four of her five children, Daria Novak, Joseph Novak (Alice Iten), Lisiana Novak and Suzanne Novak. Irene also is survived by nine grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her son, Christopher, who passed away as a child.
Irene was born on September 21, 1926, in Manhattan, N.Y. She attended Academy of the Holy Angels and was a graduate of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Irene also attended graduate school at Fordham University in New York.
She was a resident of Westport, Conn., for many years where she served as a Connecticut Commissioner of Higher Education under Governor Thomas Meskill and also volunteered for a variety of causes while raising her children with her then-husband, Joseph Novak.
She later was elected president of the American Foreign Service Women’s Association while serving as a public affairs officer at the U.S. Department of State.
Irene moved back to Westport, Conn., after her retirement and lived there until she moved to Kilmarnock in March 2017, where she resided with her daughter, Suzanne, and dog “Gypsy.”
A private memorial service will be held at a later date. The family has established the “Irene Novak Veterans Memorial Fund” to provide scholarships and support to veterans.
Memorial contributions can be made by mailing a check to Irene Novak Veterans Memorial Fund, 458 Keith Avenue, Kilmarnock VA 22482 or deliver in person to the Kilmarnock branch of Virginia Commonwealth Bank (VCB).
