Obituary of Irene M Farrand

Irene M. Farrand passed away peacefully at Ridgewood Care Center in Racine, Wisconsin on Saturday, March 26th, 2022 at the age of 90. Irene was born September 18, 1931 in Waukegan, Illinois and attended Waukegan and Zion schools until her graduation in 1949. In her youth Irene worked several jobs, including at the Zion cookie factory, before venturing out west in her early 20’s. She settled for a while in Culver City, California and enjoyed jobs at Hughes Aircraft and MGM Studios. Irene would often encounter movie stars of that era on the MGM studio lot. From there she moved on to Arizona where her daughter, Karen Haak (Carl), was born in 1960. Irene also lived in Texas for a time before returning to the place of her birth to raise her daughter. In February 1963, she married Norm Farrand and their son, Gary Farrand (Cheryl), was born in November. Irene was employed at Rexall Drug Store for a couple years before becoming the bookkeeper at Walgreens, where she stayed for over 20 years until her retirement. The joy of her life was becoming a grandmother and she quickly became known as “Grammie” to everyone who knew her. Her grandchildren, Jenna Falconer (JP), Zachary Matusek, and Lauren Haak were very special to Irene and she always found time to be with them as much as possible. She was thrilled to meet her first great grandchild and become a “Great Grammie” to Aviva Falconer (Jenna and JP) in 2018. She was also a beloved family member to her son Gary’s step-children and grandkids. Irene’s gentle nature was felt by all who met her and it was no surprise when children and animals were drawn to her wherever she went. She was an avid reader, enjoyed trips to the casino, and most of all adored spending time with her loved ones. Irene was the dependable matriarch of her family and will always be remembered for her steady determination and sunny personality. She got things done and was a most positive example for all of her family to follow.