Vesna G Sutija
Visitation:
Thursday
May 25, 2023
4 PM to 7 PM
Location:
John Krtil Funeral Home
1297 1st Ave
New York, NY 10021
Funeral Mass
May 26, 2023
10 AM
Location:
Our Lady Of Good Counsel
230 E90th St
New York, NY 10128
Visitation:
Thursday
May 25, 2023
4 PM to 7 PM
Location:
John Krtil Funeral Home
1297 1st Ave
New York, NY 10021
Funeral Mass
May 26, 2023
10 AM
Location:
Our Lady Of Good Counsel
230 E90th St
New York, NY 10128

Vesna G. Sutija, PhD
March 22, 1939 – May 14, 2023
Vesna Grudzinski Sutija passed away Sunday, May 14th, after a long illness, having been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2015.
Vesna was born in Prelog, Yugoslavia, the daughter of Dr. Alexander Grudzinski, a medical doctor and surgeon, and his wife Mathilde née Vindis. She grew up in Varazdin, where her father was head of the local children’s clinic, and was an accomplished athlete, winning third place in high jump at the 1956 Croatian Junior Track & Field championships. Together with her parents and younger sister Tanya, Vesna emigrated to the US in August 1958. Just over a year later, she matriculated at NYU and finished her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in English in 1962, the same year that she married and gave birth to her son, Davor.
She started graduate work in Psychology soon thereafter, but had a five year hiatus, while she lived in Venezuela and Chile, where her husband George Sutija worked for the Ford Foundation. In Venezuela, she did research with Gunnar Svaetichin, working on intercellular recordings from retinal neurons, a field she would pursue later in her scientific career. On returning to the US, she completed her PhD at NYU in 1975, and continued working in neurophysiology during three separate post-doctoral appointments, at Bascom-Palmer Eye Institute, the University of Miami, and at Hunter College. In 1984, Dr. Sutija was appointed Assistant Research Professor at SUNY College of Optometry and promoted to a tenure-track position in 1988.
Her passion was always vision research and she got the greatest joy out of teaching students and imbuing them with her love of the subject. After she left the field, she became Director of Research at NJ Medical Center, and for nine years at Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, a teaching hospital where she had joint appointments in the Departments of Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynechology.
Vesna had a keen interest in literature and the theatre, regularly attending readings at the 92NY’s Unterberg Poetry Center and performances at Lincoln Center Theater. She was a published poet and the author of a semi-biographical novel, Costly Illusions, which was published after her retirement. In Miami, she sang in the choral ensemble at the University of Miami, appearing with the choir at Carnegie Hall.
She loved being surrounded by her friends, family, and co-workers, and often threw dinner parties, which combined home-cooked Croatian food with stimulating intellectual discussions.
She is survived by her son Davor Sutija, her daughter-in-law Unni Byrkjeland, her sister Tanya Bruck, her niece Natasha Bruck, and three grandchildren, Karina, Astrid, and Henrik Sutija.
A viewing will be held at John Krtil Funeral Home, 1297 1st Avenue, from 4pm-7pm, on Thursday, May 25th 2023, followed by a funeral mass at Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church, 230 E. 90th Street, at 10am on Friday May 26th, 2023.
New Title

Loeva Bernard passed away peacefully on February 21, 2026, at the age of 96. She was born in Cottonwood Falls Kansas on September 12, 1929. She was preceded in death by her husband Arther Bernard and her brother, Charles F. Klamm and his wife Carol J. Klamm and a nephew Daniel E. Klamm. She is survived by her nephews David L. (Regina) Klamm and Kenneth G. (Trish) Klamm and her niece Kaylene S. (Charles) Campbell, plus many great nieces and nephews. She was a dearly loved friend of Lee Wolpert. She will be deeply missed and remembered fondly by all those who knew her.

Barbara Lane 1939 – 2026 Barbara Lane passed away peacefully on the morning of February 11th 2026 at the age of 86. Born on September 30th, 1939, at the Polyclinc Hospital, Barbara was a lifelong resident of New York City’s Upper East Side. She was raised alongside her sister Joanne under the loving guidance of her mother Dorothy and her father Edward. She learned her love of culture, refinement and the art of presence from her father Eddie and she gained her strength and grace from her mother and best friend Dorothy. Barbara also cherished her beloved sister, Joanne Elizabeth Kauper, whose strong bond and lifelong friendship was a central part her life. After attending Lady Cliff College Barbara worked for Columbia Presbyterian Hospital before beginning a long and distinguished career at the Waldorf Astoria Towers. She was often referred to as “the face of the towers” and served as a gracious host and confidant to celebrities, world leaders and stewards of industry. What defined Barbara was her ability to make every guest feel valued and genuinely important regardless of prominence or position. Barbara cherished her lifelong friendships with her colleagues that were not only based in camaraderie but represented their loyalty and genuine affection for each other. Barbara was well known for her calligraphy. The Waldorf often commissioned her for this exceptional talent. This skill reflected her precision, artistry, and impeccable standards. Her professional life later continued in the world of fine art and hospitality at Christies Auction House where her appreciation for beauty and detail remained a constant and she developed important lasting friendships with her colleagues. Barbara was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, loyal friend and a woman of deep Catholic faith. Barbara is survived by her sister‘s husband G Gerard Kauper, her nieces and nephews Lane Elizabeth Kauper Peterson, Gabrielle, Khristina, Gerard, Nicholas, George, Edward, Joseph and Christian Kauper, Chelsea Wolf, Whitney Peterson, Yanory Valerio, her great-niece's Genevieve Peterson, Cassandra Robinson and great-nephew’s George Peterson, Justin, George, Gavin, Nicholas and Anthony Kauper.

Linda Baylis-Mallia, of Manhattan, New York, passed away peacefully on February 17, 2026, at the age of 79. Born on September 9, 1946, in New York City, she was a proud New Yorker through and through. Linda earned her undergraduate degree from City College of New York and her master’s degree from Columbia University, before going on to build the Baylis-Mallia Group. Linda approached life with curiosity and style. She loved traveling the world, exploring New York City’s newest galleries and restaurants, and, of course, shopping at Bloomingdale’s. She is survived by her devoted husband, Anthony. Linda will be remembered as a true New Yorker and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Jacqueline (Niego) Turner of Manhattan, New York, passed away peacefully on January 27, 2026, at the age of 88. Born on March 4, 1937, in the Bronx, she was the beloved daughter of Olga and Joseph Niego. A proud New Yorker through and through, Jacqueline built a life defined by devotion—to her family, her faith, and her work. After graduating from Cathedral High School in New York City, she spent over three decades serving the United States Government with dedication and professionalism before continuing her career in the private sector with more than two decades at Bristol Myers Squibb. Her strong work ethic and commitment to excellence earned her the respect of colleagues across the years. In 1994, Jacqueline married Nicholas Turner, with whom she shared a deep faith and a love of dancing until his passing. Together, they made their home in Manhattan, where Jacqueline lived for the remainder of her life. Jacqueline was a lifelong and active member of the Catholic Church, serving faithfully as a lector for many decades. Her voice, presence, and reverence were well known and cherished within her parish community. Outside of work and church, Jacqueline was an avid New York Yankees fan, and she found great joy in ballroom dancing— a passion that brought her friendship and movement. Jacqueline is survived by her loving sister, Maureen Selskis, and by her many nieces and nephews: Joseph Niego, Michael Niego, James Niego, Kathleen Lawson, Patrick Callahan, Jeanne Confehr, Jacqueline Selskis, Mary Carney, and Albert Selskis. She was a devoted and cherished aunt, great-aunt, and great-great-aunt, and she leaves behind many great-nieces and great-nephews and great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews who will forever hold her memory close. She is preceded in death by her siblings Joseph Niego, Nora Niego and Victoria Callahan, whom she loved dearly. Jacqueline will be remembered as a devoted wife, daughter, sister, aunt, great-aunt, and great-great-aunt; a woman of faith; a loyal friend; and a true New Yorker who will be deeply missed by all who knew her.



