|
| |
Irene passed away June 1, 2020 a week after her 83rd birthday and four days after her 60th wedding anniversary. She is survived by her loving husband, Sylvester, who cared for her until the end, and through her six years of battling cancer. The end came peacefully in bed at her new home in Texas.
Born in Campbell, Ohio, the oldest of 5 kids, she was the daughter of John and Kathryn Pachik. She was born at home, in the “Company Houses” run by the steel mill where her dad worked. She enjoyed telling people her birth certificate said she was born dead and at home. She entered and exited the world in non-hospital settings.
She completed her degree in education from Youngstown State University despite having 3 kids in elementary school. She had multiple careers, including working as a P.E., health and driver’s ed teacher in NE Ohio and managing the Mid-Del Group Home in Oklahoma for those with developmental disabilities. A fan of games and sports, she grew up a Cleveland Indians fan and remembered fondly when they won the World Series in 1948. Alas, it was the only title they would capture in her lifetime.
She and Syl moved the family to Oklahoma City in 1979 when Syl was transferred to the then new General Motors plant. They both lived in Oklahoma City until their move in early May into a care facility in Allen, TX, near their youngest child, Mark.
Irene and Syl became Master Gardeners and enjoyed cultivating the landscaping around their home. She loved dogs (but not cats!), card games and doing crafts. We hope some member of her old Ohio bridge club stumbles upon this. Hug a dog for her. She used to say she would come back as her own dog in a future life.
She had ferocious determination, stubbornness with a sense of humor. She held strong opinions and was not afraid to share them.
She fought cancer like the ”tough old broad” she was. She took this nickname as a badge of honor after one of her doctors said this about her. Multiple rounds of chemo and surgeries bought her extra years which far exceeded the expectations of her doctors. Giving her birth date at every medical appointment was a ritual that brought comments that “she looked good” to which she added “sure, for a woman in my condition!” Through it all, she never complained.
She leaves behind a family that provided her with much pride. In addition to Syl, her husband of 60 years, she is survived by her three children and their spouses (Annette and husband Randy, Rusty (aka Larry) and wife Kelly, and Mark and wife Holly), as well as four grandchildren (Analiese, Jared, Tris and Zane), sister Dorothy and brother Steve. Siblings Frank and Helen preceded her.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to her neighbors in OKC for their kindness and caring generosity. Because of them, she and Syl were able to remain in their home until just recently.
Also, thank you to her many doctors and staff who became her social circle the past five years. She relayed updates to family about them and their lives. All these kindnesses meant a lot to her.
Visitation
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Memorial Service
Friday, June 12, 2020
This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent.
All rights reserved! Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited!
© 2000-2024 Oklahoma CemeteriesThe information on this site is provided free for the purpose of researching your genealogy. This material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, for your own research, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The information contained in this site may not be copied to any other site without written "snail-mail" permission. If you wish to have a copy of a donor's material, you must have their permission. All information found on these pages is under copyright of Oklahoma Cemeteries. This is to protect any and all information donated. The original submitter or source of the information will retain their copyright. Unless otherwise stated, any donated material is given to Oklahoma Cemeteries to make it available online. This material will always be available at no cost, it will always remain free to the researcher.