Obituary of Irene M. Jedrlinic

Irene Jedrlinic, the mother of former Daily News reporter Nicholas Hirshon, has died. She was 68. The cause was a heart attack. Jedrlinic, who was born in Jackson Heights and grew up in Flushing, worked for 41 years for the Social Security Administration before retiring in 2013. She graduated from the High School of Performing Arts and Queens College. She earned a Master's degree in English from Queens College in 1976. Her thesis was an analysis of the concept of fortune in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. She married Elliot Hirshon on Oct. 15, 1983, and lived with him in Forest Hills, Queens. She celebrated her 33rd wedding anniversary the day before her death last Sunday. Together they frequently attended shows on Broadway and the Public Theater. She saw the original Tony Award-winning productions of "Sweeney Todd," "Nine," "Fun Home," and "Hamilton" (twice). Once her son began rooting for the Mets and Islanders in 1999, Jedrlinic went to dozens of games at Shea Stadium, Citi Field, Nassau Coliseum, and Barclays Center, including the NHL playoffs in 2013 and 2016, the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, and the 2015 World Series. While her son was earning a doctoral degree in Ohio, she traveled there multiple times and joined him at events such as the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus, the 2015 MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati, and the WWE Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View in Columbus. In recent years, she also went to the all-star games of minor-league baseball and hockey associations in Binghamton, N.Y.; Reading, Pa., and Providence, R.I. She also shared her son's interest in history and helped plan family trips to historic sites in New England, Montreal, Toronto, California, Texas, Puerto Rico, and Alaska. "She taught me how to love unconditionally and approach every day with enthusiasm," her son said. A wake will be held Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Fox Funeral Home, 98-07 Ascan Avenue, Forest Hills. A funeral will take place 9:45 a.m. Monday at Our Lady of Mercy Church, 70-01 Kessel Street, Forest Hills. Burial will follow at Maple Grove Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Jedrlinic's name to Calvary Hospital. Calvary Hospital 1740 Eastchester Road Bronx, N.Y. 10461