May 6, 1975 to December 12, 2019

It is with great sadness that the friends of Dr. Ileana Fernanda Szymanski announce her passing after a battle with gastric cancer on Dec. 12, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Ileana will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her friends, family, colleagues, students and her beloved cats, Molly and Ducky. Ileana was born in Mexico City on May 6, 1975. Over the course of her 44 years of life she lived and studied in Mexico, Canada and the United States. For the past 12 years we are so glad that she made her home in Scranton. Ileana was an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Scranton and was also affiliated with the Women’s Studies program. She researched and taught classes on ancient philosophy, feminist philosophy, and the emerging field of philosophy of food. She touched the lives of many students and presented her research at professional gatherings around the world. In her personal life, Ileana loved culture and food and was an incredible chef. She found joy in cooking and sharing meals with friends. She was also dedicated to serving others and was actively involved with many local organizations including Friends of the Poor, Breadbasket of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter and the Women’s Resource Center. In keeping with her spirit of service to others, her body has been donated to science. A memorial Mass will be held on Friday, Dec. 20, at 10 a.m. at Madonna Della Strada Chapel, located at 415 Monroe Ave. in Scranton. A light brunch will follow the Mass. A funeral Mass and celebration of life will follow in 2020. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the International Rescue Committee, https://www.rescue.org/; or the Women’s Resource Center, https://wrcnepa.org/.

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