December 29, 1932 - April 25, 2026
Irene Nancy (Nadig) Wernick passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday, April 25, 2026. She was 93 years old and was the widow of the late Richard Albert ‘Dick’ Wernick who passed away December 23, 2024, after 71 years of marriage.
Born December 29, 1932, on a dairy farm in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, Irene was the daughter of the late Neil Nadig and Viola (Oettmeyer) Nadig. She was raised and educated in Fort Atkinson, attending a one room schoolhouse, before graduating from Fort Atkinson High School with the Class of 1950.
Irene and Dick met in their youth playing the accordion together as students and then teachers at the Patti Music Co. in Madison, WI. They married on June 20, 1953. Over the years, Dick’s military service and airline career took the family across six states, moving ten times. They had four daughters, each born in a different state.
Irene and Dick eventually made their home on Long Island in 1963, where they raised their family and became active in their community and church. They were members of St. Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church before retiring to Sarasota, Florida. They remained in Florida for the next 25 years and were active with the Church of the Nativity. Irene volunteered in the church kitchen, often orchestrating large parish-wide events. A dedicated choir member, Irene sang her soprano parts with joy. In addition, Irene was a 30-year member of P.E.O., a philanthropic educational organization where women celebrate, motivate, and educate women. Irene will be remembered for her generous spirit and radiant smile. Both Irene and Dick will be buried at Lake View Cemetery in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
Irene is survived by four daughters: Deborah L. Bender and her husband Mark of Amherst, NH; Diane R. Wernick and her wife Eleanor Shavell of Watertown, MA; Donna M. Wink and her husband Christian of Colchester, CT; and Dawn C. Jackson and her husband Mark of Wakefield, MA. She also leaves behind her grandchildren: Zachary Bender and his wife Marieke, Elisha Fontana and her husband Chris, Jason Bender, Taylor Wink, Emma Wink, and Henry Jackson, and step grandchildren, Susan Dorfman and her husband Jeff, Alison Elliott and her husband Jack; her great-grandchildren, Clara and Giorgia Fontana; and step great-grandchildren, Adina and Samuel Dorfman. Irene is also survived by her sister, Verna Lalk and her husband, Roger, of Oshkosh, WI.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her sister the late Eleanor (Wuestenberg) Pernat.
All are welcome to attend her funeral service on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 11 a.m. at All Saints' Episcopal Church, 10 Billerica Rd, Chelmsford, MA 01824.