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Irene Antoine Rockwell
June 02, 2017

Obituary

IRENE ANTOINE ROCKWELL OXNARD
Irene Antoine Rockwell, 75, of Oxnard, passed away on Friday - June 2, 2017 at her home, after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Her family was at her side, giving her love and support. Irene was born on July 18, 1941 in Whittier, California and was an Oxnard resident for 15 years. Prior to this, she lived on Carpinteria Beach for nearly 20 years and in Malibu Canyon, where she raised her family.
In her younger years, Irene was an accomplished ballet, tap, and toe dancer. She graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1959, a Catholic high school in West Los Angeles. Shortly after high school, she married Gary Alan Antoine and by the age of 21, she was blessed with three children: Mark, Sean, and Renee. For a brief period of time, she worked as a bank teller and then became a devoted mother and homemaker. Irene always believed in keeping a clean home and made sure her children were well clothed and fed with traditional homemade meals. When the children were young, Irene made extra money on the side by ironing for her friends and neighbors so she could stay home. She even mowed the lawn instead of hiring a gardener to save money. She believed in a good education and religious upbringing, and sent her children to private Catholic schools. She also encouraged and supported her children through college because she was not able to do that for herself. After many years of hard work, Irene and Gary established a beautiful home in Malibu, and later moved and remodeled a spectacular home on Carpinteria Beach where they enjoyed sailing, fishing, and scuba diving for their seafood. They had a yacht and often took their children on sailing trips to Mexico and the Catalina Islands. They also enjoyed camping and experiencing nature, and Irene worked hard orchestrating the trips and planning the meals for all. Irene and Gary also had a lake home in Kenora, Ontario, Canada. Every summer, the family would make a trip there and spend time vacationing with family friends. Although her marriage ended in 1981, Irene remained close to Gary.
In 1987, Irene married Dan Rockwell of Carpinteria and they were married for 20 years, and remained together and supported each other up until her recent passing. Irene helped to raise two more step-sons, Phillip and Kevin Rockwell. When all the kids where grown, Irene worked as a teacher's aide for 10 years with the Carpinteria School District. For a number of years, she served as President of the Republican Women's Club in Carpinteria. She was also a devoted and loving caregiver to her mother, Helen, until her passing. Irene and Dan later moved to Oxnard, and spent their remaining years together at their home in Mandalay Bay. Irene enjoyed boating in the harbor and spending time with her many friends in Aquatics class.
Irene is survived by her older sister, Kathleen Burks, of Grants Pass, Oregon; her former husband, Dan Rockwell, of Oxnard; her step-sons: Phillip Rockwell and family, of Oxnard and Kevin Rockwell and family, of Montana; her sons: Mark Antoine, of Oxnard; Sean Antoine and daughter-in-law Elizabetche Antoine of Los Osos; her grandsons: Lucas Antoine, of Los Osos and Shane Antoine, of Hawaii; her daughter, Renee Antoine-Blum and son-in-law John Blum of Santa Maria.
A Funeral Service for Irene will be held on Friday, June 23, 2017 at 12:00 noon. A private Catholic burial service will be held shortly after at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Cemetery in Westlake Village. Arrangements are under the care of the JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, 757 E. Main Street, Ventura.

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Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home & Cremation Service
757 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
805-643-8623