Irene M. Munsey, 86

LARGO, Florida — It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Irene Marie Munsey on Dec. 30, 2022. She was 86.

Irene was born in Laconia, New Hampshire, on June 1, 1936, the youngest daughter of Dr. Earl Joseph Gage and Irene Gage. She passed away peacefully at home in Largo, Florida, surrounded by her loving family.

Irene’s rigorous catholic education began in grade school and continued with her attending the Academy of Notre Dame in Massachusetts. Following her graduation, Irene was accepted to the Julliard School in New York as a pianist, but opted to pursue a degree in nursing from Boston College. Following graduation, Irene married Everett D. Munsey in 1957. The newlyweds moved to Nuremberg, Germany, for the duration of Everett’s Army deployment. As luck would have it, Irene went straight to work as a nurse in the Army hospital that Everett was helping to manage. During those two years in Germany, the first of their four children was born.

Following Everett’s military service, the couple moved to Dublin, California, where three more children were born. The Munsey family lived in Dublin for 13 years, where Irene focused on her surgical nursing career, participating in some of the earliest heart-transplant surgeries in California with some of the premiere surgeons of the time. In the 1970s, Irene and Everett returned home to Laconia, New Hampshire, and purchased Irene’s childhood home on Messer Street. Irene and Everett enjoyed being back in Laconia, playing tennis, making new friends and being closer to extended family. Irene’s baby grand piano was moved from California to New Hampshire and her playing filled the home for all the years that they lived there.

In the 1980s they moved to the Tampa Bay area, where Irene continued her work as a nurse. She also found a real passion for teaching and became a mentor to a new generation of nurses. Irene enjoyed her evenings reading romance novels or knitting. It wasn’t until her late '70s that Irene stopped playing the piano. She dedicated time to her faith by saying the rosary on a daily basis. Irene’s favorite memories always came on holiday with her brother, Dr. William Gage, and his wife Becky. She always came back with great stories that are still shared at family gatherings.

Irene was preceded in death by her siblings, Dr. Joseph Gage, Dr. William Gage, Earl Gage, Evelyn Strobel; and her youngest son, Staff Sergeant Mark Munsey retired USAF.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Everett Munsey; her two sons, John and Jim Munsey; and her daughter, Laura Lawlor. Irene is also survived by her grandchildren, Maureen Nichols, Kathleen Bennett, Jack and Violet Munsey; and her great-grandchildren, Brynn Nichols, Hadley Nichols and Ethan Bennett.

A viewing will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at Garden Sanctuary Funeral Home, 7950 131st St. N., Seminole, FL 33776, between 4 and 6 p.m. Deacon Wells will be on hand for prayers starting at 5 p.m.

A funeral mass will be held Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 10 to 11 a.m., at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 1955 Belcher Road, Clearwater, FL 33764. www.gardensanctuaryfunerals.com.