Irene Peale

Irene Louise Peale, 98, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2018 at Bay Village of Sarasota. Born on May 27, 1919 in Mediapolis, IA, Irene was the daughter of Andrew and Laura Andersen. She spent her childhood in Burlington, IA. After graduating from Burlington High School in 1937, Irene became a dental assistant for the Burlington School District. During World War II, she moved to Washington DC and worked as a file clerk for the FBI. She met her late husband, Alexander Henderson Peale, at an officers' ball in Washington. She married Alex on August 5, 1945 and was married for 55 years until his death in 2000. Irene and Alex raised two daughters in Silver Spring, MD. During those years she was very active in her daughters' activities and, in her leisure time, was an avid bridge player. Irene and Alex belonged to Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Kensington, MD where they were founding members of Mariners, the Church's couples' fellowship group. They moved to Florida in 1977 following her retirement from the Montgomery County School System where she worked as an elementary school teacher's assistant for nine years. She spent 25 wonderful years living and entertaining family and friends in Bay Indies in Venice, FL. Following Alex's death, she moved to Bay Village, where she participated in numerous activities and volunteer work. Surviving are her two daughters, Ann Carpenter (Gary) of Williamsburg, VA and Jane Sham (William) of Sharon, PA; granddaughter, Ashley Sham of Hermitage, PA; and grandson Lee Sham ( Kamala) of Hubbard, OH. Her surviving siblings are sister, Mary Ann, and brother John. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Eugene and Paul and four sisters Emma Laura , Dorothy, Edna, and Margaret. A memorial service will be held at Bay Village on February 24th at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Bay Village Endowment Fund, 8400 Vamo Rd., Sarasota, FL 34231 or to the Community Library of the Shenango Valley, 11 N. Sharpsville Avenue, Sharon, PA 16146.