Life tribute in photos to Ivan Joseph Koremba, June 10, 1977 - October 17, 2024

Ivan Joseph Koremba, age 47 years, of Jersey City, NJ, passed away suddenly but peacefully on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at Jersey City Medical Center, Jersey City, NJ, surrounded by his loving family.
Born on June 10, 1977, at Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Newark, NJ, he was the first child born to Teofilo (John) and Lidia Auditore Koremba. He was raised in Union, NJ, and had lived for several years in Jersey City and then Hoboken, NJ, before moving back to Jersey City five years ago.
A 1995 graduate of Union Catholic High School where he was a stand-out in both sports and academics, Ivan went on to earn his Bachelor of Science in 2001 from St. Peter’s University, Jersey, City, NJ, where he also played Division 1 soccer. Majoring in International Business and Trade, Ivan was also fortunate enough to spend a year living and studying at R.M.I.T. University in Melbourne, Australia, where he made many lifelong friends and got to experience first-hand a new culture and way of living which would affect him in many positive ways.
With profound and honed interpersonal and clinical skills in medical sales, Ivan worked for several companies during his professional career including PRN, Iridex, Ellex- I-Track, Coopervision, and General Electric/Care Credit. Each career move afforded him promotions and he was well respected by both his peers and his customers alike.
To know Ivan though, is to know you were in the presence of someone who truly lived each moment of every day to the fullest, as well as someone who always had your back. Ivan loved spending time with family and friends, and his humor and love were never in question.
With an infectious, inviting smile, Ivan had a passion for sports and his beloved New York Rangers and of course Argentina Soccer, made for many happy memories and many days of hoarse voices cheering them on (and yelling at them too!).
Music was Ivan’s sanctuary, his soul resonating with the melodies that painted the canvas of his existence. He cherished the lyrical tapestry of life, finding solace and joy in the harmonies that spoke to his heart. Numerous concerts and festivals served as the backdrop to many days and nights with old friends and new friends, where the music played on, and memories danced in the melodies. Simply put, he lived the life of a rock star and always encouraged everyone around him to seize the day and make beautiful music of their own.
Ivan would want to be remembered not with tears, but with the same fervent, vibrant energy that defined his time on this earth. Pearl Jam, one of Ivan’s favorite bands, wrote, “I know I was born, and I know that I’ll die…the in-between is mine. I am mine.” Thank you, Ivan, for reminding us always that the in-between is what we choose to make it. To honor Ivan, is to smile more, love harder, and hope with a passion and a fire that can never be extinguished. Ivan, your light will forever shine bright in our hearts, guiding us through the darkness with the warmth of your presence, always…for that, we are grateful.
In addition to his maternal and paternal grandparents, he was preceded in death by a dear friend, Alex Staikos.
Surviving are his mother and father, Lidia and John Koremba; his younger brother and first best-friend, David Koremba; his cherished canine companion, Rufus, as well as Rufus’s cousin, Luna; several extended family members in the United States and Argentina; and many friends around the world whose lives are better because Ivan’s light shined, and will always continue to do so, on their paths of life.
Family and friends will gather on Friday, October 25, 2024, from 5:00-7:30 p.m. in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. A life celebration service with reflections from family and friends will take place on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home and to which all are welcome.
A prayer service officiated by Rev. Randy Gamboa Espinoza, followed by inurnment at St. Magdalen Mausoleum, 95 North Main Street, Flemington, NJ, will take place on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., and to which all are welcome. Everyone is asked to meet directly at the mausoleum on Saturday morning beginning at 10:45 a.m. and to follow the instructions of the Wright & Ford Care Team Family Ambassadors upon arrival.
You are encouraged to visit Ivan’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.
As we carry Ivan’s spirit with us through the tapestry of time, those who wish to honor him are asked to make a contribution to a charity which touched Ivan’s heart, and a place where he spent time helping to make a difference, and that information will be available shortly.
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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”