Karen Anderson

When I think of Irene, so many superlatives come to mind – beautiful, brilliant, visionary, magnanimous…. I am aching for myself and our community and for John.

Irene wanted a better world for seniors, worked to make it happen, and in the process elevated many of us into being our better selves. I loved being in her presence, basking in her warm, patient, intelligent regard, always receiving something positive and helpful. Seeing her in the neighborhood was also reassuring, knowing that if she was here, all was well, or soon would be since she would work to make it so. She literally looked like a Queen but most importantly she was one, in all its positive aspects – a protector of her domain and a cultivator of community which she worked tirelessly to create and sustain.

Few of us can do our best work without the support and love of others, and for Irene, that love and support came most directly from John. Irene’s mission became John’s, and his work is indispensable for LILY and the many seniors who depend on it for life-giving sustenance. At this time, our whole LILY community is grieving with John and would, if we could, embrace him and cry for his personal, and our collective, loss.

My saunters down our block will never be the same knowing that I will never again have a chance encounter with Irene. I now treasure those moments. When we sighted each other, we would chat as her dog looked on imploringly, as if to say, “Come on, Mom, can’t we get going?!” Stung as we always are by a seismic loss, reminding us that our lives and encounters are fleeting, perhaps we may become more neighborly to the people with whom we share our small corner of the world? No other tribute to Irene could be more fitting.