On Wednesday, July 28th, 2021, Irene Elsie Josephs, loving wife, and loving mum to four boys, passed away at the age of 78 due to complications from a 5-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Irene was born in North Islington London, near the Caledonia Road station where she was the youngest of five children. She packed up and moved to the States at the age of 18 to live with her sister where she unexpectedly met the love of her life, Ed, and the two were married in 1966 and were still together at the time of her passing.
If not known for being the English lady at Tobin’s, she was known for being the mum of four rambunctious sons, often saying “there is a special spot in heaven for a mum of four boys”. She loved to travel, loved her spot of tea, her beloved Arsenal, and never forgot where she was from, instilling her favorite British wisdom and wit to all that she came across. Known for her bright smile, her contagious laugh, and her kind and compassionate spirit, Irene always left the room with a smile that made everyone feel better.
Irene is survived by her loving and dedicated husband Ed and her four boys: Timothy, Mark, Jeffery, and Michael; her five grandsons: Jayden, Ethan, Nigel, Carson, and Parker, and her two loving granddaughters: Gabrielle and Avery. She is further survived by multiple cousins, nephews, nieces, and her family across the pond: Ron, Trina, Jim, Michelle, and Sara.
A celebration of Irene’s life will be held on Friday, August 6th, 2021, at Krause Funeral Home 21600 West Capitol Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin with visitation from 3:00 PM until 4:45 PM and a service beginning at 5:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in her honor to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.