Obituary of Flavie Irene Allan

Flavie Irene Allan (nee Graham)

May 22, 1930 - April 22, 2020

Irene Allan (nee Graham) passed away peacefully at the tender age of 89.  She is lovingly remembered by her three daughters; Vicci, Julie, and Shelley; seven grandchildren; Robert, Sarah, Tara, Heather, Germaine, Alex, and Andrea; two great-grandchildren; Jenna and Austin, as well as, her sister-in-law Margaret Graham, her step-children Susan and David, and their children. Irene was predeceased by her parents, Robert and Flavie, her brother Robert and her beloved husband Stuart, who had passed away just five weeks earlier.

Irene was born and raised in Leaside, Ontario.  In her younger years, she was affectionately known by close friends and relatives as Billie.   She was a model in her late teens and early twenties and a member of the Leaside United church, singing in the choir and participating in the Young People’s Group, where she met her first husband, Bob.   In her early days of marriage, with three small children in tow, she ran a B&B with her sister-in-law, Martha, in Orillia, Ontario.   She enjoyed watching baseball and was a VERY passionate hockey fan.  She loved playing cards and board games with friends and family, square dancing, gardening, ceramics, and paper-tole.  Irene met her second husband, Stu, while learning to sail at Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club in Toronto.  Together they sailed and motor-homed well into their senior years before becoming snowbirds and residing in both Mission, Texas, and Angus, Ontario.  Irene’s legacy is the absolute joy she found in every day.  It is hard to picture Irene doing anything other than smiling and laughing.   She was at her happiest when she was in any social situation and was able to make everyone feel comfortable in her presence.  Although, it was in the presence of her daughters, their children, and her grandchildren that Irene found her greatest joy.

Special thanks to Ruth and Emma, and the entire staff of Queen’s Estate, for her care over the last year, and especially in the weeks after Stu’s death.  She may have been without her family since the lockdown, but she was never alone.  A celebration of her life will be planned when possible.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the University Health Network (uhn.ca) to help fight COVID-19.  Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.