Westford,
Pauline Paige Irish, 98, of Westford, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 surrounded by her loving family at Our Lady of Providence in Winooski. At Our Lady of Providence she received ongoing excellent care from the staff and support from the many residents.
Pauline was born December 31, 1918 in St. Albans, the daughter of the late Carl and Helen Leach Paige. She spent her early years in Westford. Following her graduation from Bellow Free Academy in St. Albans, she went on to graduate from Burlington Business College.
On April 17, 1944 she married Parker Irish when he came home on leave from the Army Air Corps. Following his discharge from the military, they together raised their six children in Milton and Essex Junction. Early on she worked for an employment agency and in the 1960's she studied for and obtained her Vermont Realtor's license.
She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and member and past Grand Regent of the local chapter of the Catholic Daughters. She was a past Juniorette leader and later a Hospice volunteer.
Pauline was a remarkable, independent, selfless woman who converted to Catholicism as a newlywed. Family, friends and her religion were her top priorities. She kept a daily journal from her childhood until her 90's.
She was an avid St. Michael's College basketball fan. Pauline loved to play board games and had learned to play Bridge in her 70's. She shared Parker's love of the outdoors and continued to go sledding well into her 80's. A fun loving, resourceful, extremely capable and adventuresome woman, she travelled to Ireland at 86 years of age where she enjoyed the scenery and the "Taste of Guinness". Later while visiting Arizona she was able to hike the "Arches". Her most recent "adventure" was "skating" at Leddy Park on February 22nd of this year, an outing she thoroughly enjoyed.
Pauline is survived by her children, Mary and Dan Tuure, Beth and Art Menut, Bill and Donna Irish and Patricia and Christopher Westerfield all of Westford; Stephen and Meg Irish of Half Moon, NY and Colleen and Doug Carruthers of Buckeye, AZ. Her grandchildren include Kim Faris, Stacy Gleason, Joshua Tuure, Erin Menut, Amelia Duffy, Mark Irish, Jessica Esce, Aca and Eric Carruthers and Christopher and Lauren Irish. She leaves also fourteen great grandchildren; her brother, Carl Paige and his wife, Shirley of St. Petersburg, FL; one niece, several nephews and her very dear friend, Judy Agnew.
She was predeceased by her husband Parker Irish in 1986, her brother, Hobart Paige and many special cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at Noon in Holy Family Parish in Essex Junction. Burial will follow in St. Ann's Cemetery in Milton.
Visiting Hours will be today (Friday) from 5:30 to 8 pm in the Minor Funeral Home, Route 7 in Milton.
Memorial Contributions may be made to either Our Lady of Providence in care of the Activities Director, 47 West Spring Street, Winooski, VT 05404 or to the Brick Meeting House Restoration Project, make check out to (BMHS), P.O. Box 63, Westford, VT 05494.