Irene Victoria Osipow

Irene Osipow, gardener, cook, worrier, dog kicker, and granny extraordinaire passed away peacefully with family by her side on Friday, March 21, 2014, the second day of spring. She is lovingly remembered by her children Barb (Gord), Rod (Linda) and Donna (Jay) and was so proud of her 17 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. Irene is dearly missed by her six surviving siblings: Betty, Bud (Iris), Vic (Georgina), Jim (Barb), John (Elaine) and Ralph (Pat) and many friends and relatives. She was predeceased by her husband Fred, parents Irene Walberg and Vic Shelton, sister Jean, brother Tom, brother-in-law Ed, and great grandsons Johnny, Walker and baby Seth. Irene loved to tell friends about her family’s latest adventures and catch up on the news over coffee at her kitchen table. She was happiest holding a baby in her arms and enjoyed mowing her lawn, going to Kim’s Café, watching children’s sporting events and eating at the A&W drive-thru. She taught her grandchildren to collect eggs from her beloved chickens, love animals, make the beds just so, and to not poke their eyes out. Never one for the water, she nonetheless collected rocks from the Macleod River with them and inspired their love for her favourite flowers: roses, sweet peas and geraniums. She managed to make each of us feel special and loved in her own way and we are so thankful for her gift of love. An avid member of the Peers community for the past 67 years, Irene had an encyclopaedic memory of the families that have grown up in the area and the roads to get where she needed to be. Friends would see her wave in a blur as she sped along the highway in her Blue Bullet or Silver Rocket; we could call her any time for directions and she would know exactly where to go. Irene truly loved the Peers and Edson community and served many dinners and sewed many grad and wedding dresses for friends. Irene, you will truly be missed. Please join us as we celebrate her life at 1:30 pm on Saturday, March 29, 2014 at Beaver Meadow Hall (drive on Hwy 16, turn North at Niton Junction, drive approximately 14 km, turn left on Range Road 122A and go 7.4 km to hall), a special place where she worked, volunteered and watched her kids compete for many years. If friends so wish, donations may be made to the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation. She would have loved it if you performed a random act of kindness, took your kids out for ice cream or planted a rose in her memory.

Irene Victoria Osipow

May 9, 1930 - March 21, 2014