Maria Eugenia (Bruggisser) Jorfald

Maria Eugenia "Gena" was born on December 17, 1955, to Eugenio Bruggisser and Miriam Sierra. She grew up in Medellín, Colombia, and later spent much of her adulthood studying in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she met her future husband, Jan, and welcomed her first child. After Switzerland, Maria and her family settled in the Chicago area, which became her home for the remainder of her life.

With an innate sense of love, devotion, and selflessness, Maria dedicated her life to being a mother, always placing family at the center of everything she did.

Maria possessed remarkable strength and resilience, while embodying style, grace, and beauty. Guided by a deep and steady faith, she lived with quiet humility and compassion. She had a memorable laugh and a wonderful sense of humor—effortlessly funny and entertaining. Naturally reserved, she was deeply loyal and steadfast to those she held close, offering a rare and enduring friendship to many.

In her youth, she was a spirited and competitive swimmer, and later in life she developed an eye for interiors, fashion, and gardening—a natural ability to make everything around her more beautiful.

Above all else, Maria's greatest joy was her family—her three daughters and her four beloved grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jan Jorfald; her father, Eugenio Bruggisser; her mother, Miriam Sierra; and her brother, Andres Bruggisser. Maria is survived by her three daughters: Johanna (Drew) Naismith; Kristie Jorfald; and Lisa (Ilya) Jorfald-Gaykov; and her grandchildren: Olivia Ashley Naismith; Luca Kennedy Naismith; William "Liam" Janson Gaykov; and Harlowe Rose Gaykov. She is also survived by her siblings: Erika Bruggisser Tobon, Edwin Bruggisser, Patricia Bruggisser, Monica Bruggisser, and Alex Bruggisser.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to:
Attn: MD Anderson Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot
MD Anderson Cancer Center
P.O. Box 4486
Houston, TX 77210-4486
Donations may also be made online at mdanderson.org/gifts.

Services will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at St. Patrick's Church, 928 W. Everett Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045. A reception will immediately follow at the Deer Path Inn, 255 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045.