Irene Carroll, 91
Dateline: Attleboro, MA
Irene Carroll, formerly of Mansfield, was born June 16, 1925, the daughter of Stephen and Irene Prunty. She grew up in Brookline Village and attended St. Mary’s High School, where she founded her “Club” of girlfriends, which she maintained throughout her life. During this time she met Pat Carroll and together began a loving and faithful union that grew ever more inseparable over their lifetime.
Pat’s military service intervened in their early-married life and Irene struggled through the separation of deployments and financial difficulties. Irene followed Pat to Tokyo where he was stationed following the war, taking with her three young children under the age of five.
As a fulltime homemaker and now mother of four, she lived there five years, becoming conversant in Japanese. Pat’s career led the way back to the states, where Irene resettled her family in Louisville Kentucky and later Brockton and Chelmsford.
Irene volunteered in the Catholic parishes wherever she was raising her children. When all had completed school, she applied her prodigious math skills to work as a tax preparer at H&R Block for several years.
Irene was renowned for her frugal and organizational abilities, which enabled her to successfully, relocate her family so many times. She also enjoyed traveling, and did so often in the United States, Europe, and especially Ireland.
In retirement, Irene’s home in Chatham was always filled with the unruly retelling of stories, the banter and laughter of friends and family, and the joy of playing with her seven grandchildren.
Irene had tremendous wit and personality that never completely abandoned her even after nearly two decades living with Alzheimer's disease.
One day shy of her 92nd birthday, Irene passed into her new life peacefully on Thursday June 15 at the Life Care Center in Attleboro with her loving and devoted daughters at her side.
She was predeceased by her husband Patrick R. Carroll, her sisters, Claire Sweeney and Mary Coffman. She is survived by her four children, William Carroll, and his wife Eda of Boston, Robert Carroll and his wife Lee of Watertown, Susan Lague and her husband Mark of Attleboro, and Kathleen Steele and her husband Allan of Plainville. She leaves seven grandchildren, Liam Carroll of Portland, ME, Ryan Carroll and his wife Erin of Greenwich, CT, Neil Carroll of Boston, Michelle Lague of Greenfield, Kevin Lague and his wife Holly, and her great granddaughter Georgiana of New Glarus, WI, Shannon Steele-Oles and her husband Brian of Franklin, and Sarah Steele of Wrentham.
Her funeral, to which relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend, will be held on Tuesday, June 20th beginning at 10:00 A.M. from the Sherman & Jackson Funeral Home, 55 North Main St., Mansfield, followed by a Mass of Christian burial celebrated at 11:00 A.M. in St. Mary’s Church, 330 Pratt St. (Route 106) Mansfield. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Mansfield.
Visiting hours will be held on Monday, June 19th from 5:00-8:00 P.M. at the Sherman & Jackson Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, Irene’s family has requested that donations in her memory be made to Compassionate Care Hospice, 174 Dean St., Taunton, MA 02780.