Obituary of S. Irene Hamm

Peacefully, surrounded by her family at Whisperwood Villa on Friday, March 17, 2023, Irene Hamm, formerly of Bunbury and Hamilton, Ontario, passed away, just shy of her 93^rd birthday. She leaves behind her devoted husband of 73 years, Carl and is also lovingly remembered by her 5 children, Bonnie (Ron) Bush, Shelley (Ronnie) Diamond, Merle (Gordon) MacBeath, Larry (Jackie) Hamm, and Marnie (Andrew) Karczynski.  Irene was also the cherished grandmother of Tanya, Derek, Jason, Christopher, Colin, Tyler, Ashley, Paige, and Kyle, and 16 great-grandchildren.  Predeceased by her parents Reginald and Pearl (Guinter) Verrall and brothers Bill, Bob, and Tom.

 

Irene always gave generously of her heart and her time.  She was an accomplished accordion player and taught many others to play over years of giving lessons, she also played the organ beautifully, was a talented dressmaker, and a trained bookkeeper.  She was a pioneer of the community school movement on PEI and her long involvement, beginning in 1970, included instructing sewing classes and serving on the association’s board in various roles, including provincial president.  Irene was also a loving childcare provider for a number of families and maintained close relationships with those she cared for.  She surrounded herself in nature’s beauty, creating and tending to beautiful gardens all around her home, and was accomplished at many artistic pursuits, painting, knitting, needlepoint, and anything crafty.

 

Irene shared her hospitality and cooking talents with all who entered her home, even running a successful bed and breakfast for a number of years.  She loved meeting people and developing new friendships. She had many good friends and enjoyed organizing outings and trips that always resulted in fun times and lots of laughter. Her friends were lifelong friends. 

 

Throughout her life, she remained a faithful Christian and her strong belief in God and eternal life brought her much comfort. She was an active member of the church and enjoyed Bible study and friendships made in church groups.  She loved her family most of all and took pride in all her children’s accomplishments.  Her love and pride grew as she became a grandmother and great-grandmother.

 

Her name, whether it be Irene, Mom, Grandma, or Great-Grandma, evokes a smile and a feeling of love in all who knew her.  She will be always missed and forever cherished.

 

Resting at Hillsboro Funeral Home from where visiting hours will be held Wednesday, March 22, 2023 from 4 - 6 pm.  A funeral service will be celebrated on Thursday 11:00 am in the funeral home chapel.  Interment will take place later at Clifton Cemetery.

 

Memorial donations may be made online to the Central Christian Church or the Community Worship Centre, Crossroads.

 

The family wishes to extend heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated and caring staff at Whisperwood Villa.  The kindness and loving care provided during her 5 year stay is truly appreciated.  She genuinely cared about everyone she got to know there and considered you all her extended family.