Ellen Synovec Obituary

COL Ellen Corley Synovec, USA, (Ret.) COLUMBIA, SC - COL Ellen Corley Synovec, USA, (Ret.), 71, of Columbia, died on Friday, August 12, 2022. Born in Boston, MA, on September 20, 1950, she was a daughter of the late BG John T. Corley, USA (Ret.), and Mary B. Corley (both deceased). She graduated from Cardinal Newman HS in 1968. She went on to earn her BS and MS in Nursing from USC. She joined the Army in 1971 through the Army Student Nurse Program. During her 27 years as an Army Nurse, she served in Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Kansas, Japan, and South Korea. Upon retiring from the Army in 1998, she moved to Columbia with her sons. In her post-Army life, she worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield, Providence Hospital and USC. Upon her retirement from USC, she was honored with the distinction of Clinical Professor Emerita of Nursing. She deeply enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, family, and friends. People who knew her will remember her loving, kind, selfless, and calm demeanor. To her children, she will always be the person that taught them to become men of resolute character, deep faith, and selfless service. Both sons will attest that the honorable men they are today is a direct result of being raised by her and wanting to live lives that made her proud. She was preceded in death by her brothers, 1Lt. John T. Corley, Jr. and Robert Corley. She is survived by her two sons, Maj. Thomas M. Synovec, PhD, US Air Force, and CPT(P) John D. Synovec, MD, US Army, who were her pride and joy; her two daughters-in-law, Megan and Mariah; her two grandchildren, Emma and Hudson; and her four surviving brothers and sisters, James Corley, Esq., Mary Powers, COL Michael Corley, USA (Ret.) and his wife Solveigh, and Carol Windham. A Mass of Christian Burial for COL Synovec will be held at 1230, Friday, August 19th, at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 100 Polo Road, Columbia, with Father McDonald officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow in Fort Jackson National Cemetery at 1400. A rosary will be held at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia, on Thursday evening at 1700 with a visitation to follow until 1900. Memorials may be made to St. John Neumann's Building Construction Fund in Ellen Synovec's name. Memories and condolences may be shared at ShivesFuneralHome.com. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston