Irene McGirr passed away in Hicksville, where she recently relocated, at age 91 on Sept. 5. It is believed that her heart failed due to her age and recent prior illnesses.
Irene was born in Manhattan on Oct. 21, 1925, and was adopted by her parents, Hester and William Goodyear. She spent much of her youth in Great Neck and New Jersey.
She married Patrick Terrence McGirr Jr. on Aug. 24, 1946, and honeymooned in Niagara Falls. They resided in Great Neck until their retirement to Brooklyn, CT, where they spent about 30 of their golden years.
Irene attended Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School and obtained many achievements through civil-service exams. She held many jobs through the years, like waitressing, map making, editorial and secretarial work for the Port Washington School District until she retired.
She is survived by her children, James of Silver Springs, NV; Carol Stevens and husband, Jim, of Stormville, NY; and son-in-law James Ryan; Patrick McGirr III and wife, Jill; William McGirr and wife, Grace; and Diane Paez and husband, Bernabe, of Hicksville. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, Marcus, Carolyn, Kathy, Christian, Colin, Kelly, Molly, Brendan, Emma, Megan and Aidan. She has seven great-grandchildren, Jenny, Jillian, Jamie, Reese, Madeline, Olivia and Ciara. She is predeceased by her spouse, Patrick, on July 7, 2010, and daughter Teresa on July 17, 2015.
Irene enjoyed life and was involved in many activities at the same time, like Girl Scouts, American Legion, PTA, sewing, needlepoint and going to the beach. She was an avid reader.
Her biggest love was her devotion to raising, training and showing her many golden retrievers in field trials and obedience. A few of her dogs served the community and brought many smiles and comfort to residents of a nearby nursing home with weekly visits.
During her retirement, Irene volunteered many hours at the church, assisting in fundraising with book drives, cookie swaps and raffles. She was a member of Brooklyn’s Historical Society.
She will be greatly missed and forever cherished. In addition to services on Long Island, the family is planning a memorial service late October in Connecticut.
