In loving memory of

Irene Henry
February 14, 1943 - September 23, 2020

Irene Henry, 77, of Plano, Texas, passed away, Wednesday, September 23, 2020. Her husband of 55 years, Pat, passed away in May of this year and she missed him dearly. Irene is survived by daughter Laura (Eric) Fink, son Scott (Pam) Henry, grandchildren Ryan and Ashley Fink and Jace Henry, brothers Bill (Susan) Brady, George (Mary) Brady, Kevin (Marjorie) Brady, Vincent (Cynthia) Brady, and Brendan (Beth) Brady.

Irene was a loving mother, wife, NaNa, friend, and second mother to many especially her brothers. Irene was born February 14, 1943 in New York, New York to Vincent Brady and Ellen (Trainor) Brady. She graduated from St. Jean Baptiste High School in June 1960.

On June 14, 1964, she married the love of her life Patrick Henry in New Jersey. Irene and Pat raised their children in New Milford, New Jersey until the JCPenney headquarters was moved from New York City to Texas in 1988 and they relocated their family. Irene joined the JCPenney company in Plano and worked there until she retired.

In 1995 Irene was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and given a maximum life expectancy of 5 years. Irene is a fighter, and she beat all the odds and lived with her deteriorating lungs until 2008 when she received a double lung transplant. She continued her journey despite the challenges and lived a full wonderful life for another 12 years with her new lungs.

Anyone who knows Irene knows she absolutely loved shopping for bargains. She could shop until she dropped and was really good at it. Her motto was, if 1 was good 10 was better. She also had a passion for cooking and her food was amazing. She had many cook books and family recipes that she passed down to her kids and grandkids. Irene also made friends easily and had a special spot in her heart for her childhood friend Connie and dear friends Isabel, Denise, and Marilyn who she remained very close with until the very end. The kids referred to them as "aunt" because they were considered family.

Irene was an amazing woman and truly loved by everyone who knew her. She was always dressed to impress and looked beautiful. She had so many stories to share and would chat for as long as you let her. She was a bright light and a joy to be around.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents. Funeral services are scheduled in the near future at DFW National Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.

A special thank you to the people who cared for my mom over the years especially Marcy Buford and the transplant team at UT Southwestern Hospital.

Tribute video: https://vimeo.com/415654448






Tributes

Ryan Fink wrote on Sep 26, 2020:

"I?ll always remember how much she loved the kitchen! Nothing would make me happier when I was a kid than to ?help? her cook. I just wanted to spend time and chat with my NaNa and she always made me feel like I was involved and happy. ??"