1969
Lark
2024
Lark Syrris
December 31, 1969 — February 10, 2024
Lark Anna Wheelock Syrris, born March 16th, 1957, to Philip Oughton Wheelock and Florence Edythe Anderson Wheelock, passed away peacefully in her sleep the morning of February 10th, 2024, at home with her husband, James (Demitris) Syrris.
Lark was known to be a “mom to everyone,” and dedicated her life to inspiring others.
Lark Syrris grew up on her family’s farm in McHenry, IL where she cultivated in herself a love for nature, music, and writing. She was a passionate drummer and singer, and performed “Brand New Key” while riding actual roller skates in her high school talent show.
She went on to attend Warren Wilson College in North Carolina for two years to study English, where she met her devoted husband, James. They fell in love hiking in the mountains, and sharing poetry. They married in 1978. Lark, a true romantic, carried not a bouquet, but two poignant roses; one white for the purity of their love, and one red, for their passion. They were married the rest of her life, for 46 years.
Lark was an unconditionally loving mother to two: Katrina (b. 1994) and Costa Syrris (b. 1997). Of all her accomplishments, her family meant the most to her, and was a profound source of inspiration for her, writing journals, poems, and taking photographs that reflected her experiences with them all the way until the end of her life on earth.
In college, Lark sang in Warren Wilson’s traveling choir, and later in Minnesota’s Plymouth Concert Choir. Lark moved back to Illinois with James where she finished her Bachelor’s at Northern Illinois University in 1979. Later, she would return in the 1980s to attain her Masters of Arts in English from NIU, as well. She also taught college freshman English, and loved inspiring curiosity and a love of literature in her students.
She spent the first half of her career in Information Technology and as an accomplished technical writer. She worked on healthcare software development and on projects for the U.S. government. In 2000, Lark was called to take her career in a new direction, and earned her Masters of Science from National Louis University in Counseling and Human Services in 2003. She spent the rest of her life dedicated to helping victims of domestic abuse, violence, and mental illness in Elgin, Illinois at EPD as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. Lark was a passionate, dedicated, and fearless therapist for 20 years.
Along with Lark’s passion for helping others, she was also an inspired writer, who wrote frequently, and published four books in her lifetime, including Corporate Grind , a book of sardonic poems about corporate culture, and later in life, she published her spiritual memoirs: Discovering Super-Natural Love , Connecting to Super-Natural Love , and Being a Source of Super-Natural Love . She wrote these books to inspire readers to “embark on [their] own spiritual quest, feeling free to question, [...] and to find [their] soul’s callings and convictions that will drive [their] life forward to ever greater joy, peace, and miracles.”
In the early 2000s, Lark’s artistic pursuits branched out into the theatre, inspired by her daughter who enjoyed performance. Lark served on the board of the Elgin Theatre Company for one year, and served as co-producer of “Godspell” in 2007. Later in life, she would serve as her daughter’s adviser when she founded Goodly Creatures Theatre in 2018. Her daughter, Katrina, remembers her mother with incredible gratitude for her mentorship, and sharing in her dreams. Since then, Lark has been an essential and influential figure at Goodly Creatures, serving as Katrina’s sounding board, and biggest fan. Lark was loved by cast and crew throughout the years, making them feel appreciated and welcome, like they were her own family, and, in sincerity, she viewed them as such.
Lark’s favorite poem was “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann, a fitting piece to summarize the way Lark lived her full and beautiful life. She truly treated everyone as a “child of the universe.”
“You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”
Lark is survived by her husband, James; her son, Costa; her daughter Katrina and her son-in-law Cameron Rathjen. She leaves behind her siblings Dana Wheelock, his wife Kathy, her sister Mona Sparks, her spouse Jeff, and her brother Jeff Wheelock and his wife Monica. Lark is cherished by the Syrris Family, the Wheelock Family, the Zaglanis Family, the Regas Family, and the Rathjen Family.
It is important to note that Lark had a community of dear friends who were as close as family in this life, they include Joyce Dahlberg’s Family, David Hrycewicz’s Family, John Larson’s Family, and Eileen Scherer’s Family.
The family appreciates messages and memories of Lark. If you would like to share your condolences with the family, please email the family: [email protected] .
A private celebration of life will be held this summer.
Lark was known to be a “mom to everyone,” and dedicated her life to inspiring others.
Lark Syrris grew up on her family’s farm in McHenry, IL where she cultivated in herself a love for nature, music, and writing. She was a passionate drummer and singer, and performed “Brand New Key” while riding actual roller skates in her high school talent show.
She went on to attend Warren Wilson College in North Carolina for two years to study English, where she met her devoted husband, James. They fell in love hiking in the mountains, and sharing poetry. They married in 1978. Lark, a true romantic, carried not a bouquet, but two poignant roses; one white for the purity of their love, and one red, for their passion. They were married the rest of her life, for 46 years.
Lark was an unconditionally loving mother to two: Katrina (b. 1994) and Costa Syrris (b. 1997). Of all her accomplishments, her family meant the most to her, and was a profound source of inspiration for her, writing journals, poems, and taking photographs that reflected her experiences with them all the way until the end of her life on earth.
In college, Lark sang in Warren Wilson’s traveling choir, and later in Minnesota’s Plymouth Concert Choir. Lark moved back to Illinois with James where she finished her Bachelor’s at Northern Illinois University in 1979. Later, she would return in the 1980s to attain her Masters of Arts in English from NIU, as well. She also taught college freshman English, and loved inspiring curiosity and a love of literature in her students.
She spent the first half of her career in Information Technology and as an accomplished technical writer. She worked on healthcare software development and on projects for the U.S. government. In 2000, Lark was called to take her career in a new direction, and earned her Masters of Science from National Louis University in Counseling and Human Services in 2003. She spent the rest of her life dedicated to helping victims of domestic abuse, violence, and mental illness in Elgin, Illinois at EPD as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. Lark was a passionate, dedicated, and fearless therapist for 20 years.
Along with Lark’s passion for helping others, she was also an inspired writer, who wrote frequently, and published four books in her lifetime, including Corporate Grind , a book of sardonic poems about corporate culture, and later in life, she published her spiritual memoirs: Discovering Super-Natural Love , Connecting to Super-Natural Love , and Being a Source of Super-Natural Love . She wrote these books to inspire readers to “embark on [their] own spiritual quest, feeling free to question, [...] and to find [their] soul’s callings and convictions that will drive [their] life forward to ever greater joy, peace, and miracles.”
In the early 2000s, Lark’s artistic pursuits branched out into the theatre, inspired by her daughter who enjoyed performance. Lark served on the board of the Elgin Theatre Company for one year, and served as co-producer of “Godspell” in 2007. Later in life, she would serve as her daughter’s adviser when she founded Goodly Creatures Theatre in 2018. Her daughter, Katrina, remembers her mother with incredible gratitude for her mentorship, and sharing in her dreams. Since then, Lark has been an essential and influential figure at Goodly Creatures, serving as Katrina’s sounding board, and biggest fan. Lark was loved by cast and crew throughout the years, making them feel appreciated and welcome, like they were her own family, and, in sincerity, she viewed them as such.
Lark’s favorite poem was “Desiderata” by Max Ehrmann, a fitting piece to summarize the way Lark lived her full and beautiful life. She truly treated everyone as a “child of the universe.”
“You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.”
- Max Ehrmann, “Desiderata”
Lark is survived by her husband, James; her son, Costa; her daughter Katrina and her son-in-law Cameron Rathjen. She leaves behind her siblings Dana Wheelock, his wife Kathy, her sister Mona Sparks, her spouse Jeff, and her brother Jeff Wheelock and his wife Monica. Lark is cherished by the Syrris Family, the Wheelock Family, the Zaglanis Family, the Regas Family, and the Rathjen Family.
It is important to note that Lark had a community of dear friends who were as close as family in this life, they include Joyce Dahlberg’s Family, David Hrycewicz’s Family, John Larson’s Family, and Eileen Scherer’s Family.
The family appreciates messages and memories of Lark. If you would like to share your condolences with the family, please email the family: [email protected] .
A private celebration of life will be held this summer.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lark Syrris, please visit our flower store.
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