Obituaries

Elaine passed away after 70 wonderful years serving her God, her family and others. She was born in St. Louis Missouri to Vince and Marian Irwin. She was the oldest of seven children. As the oldest she was the role model for her 4 sisters and 2 brothers.

Elaine married her husband John in 1971. During their wonderful 49 years together, they have lived in St. Louis, Nashville, Washington DC, Cleveland, and Detroit (multiple times). These moves were made as Elaine supported John in his career.

Elaine had her own career as a Registered Nurse. She practiced in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care and later as a Home Care Nurse for Beaumont Hospital. She truly loved nursing and caring for her patients.

As important as nursing career was for Elaine she reveled in her role as a mother. Elaine and John have 3 children - John, Ericka and Beth. Each have successful careers of their own and have beautiful families. Elaine speaks to each of them daily and follows their family events even though they may live far from her home. Her role as a mother evolved to the role of a grandmother. She has 11 grandchildren. She is known simply as Grandma but is better known as the memory maker. Each child can and does speak of special moments that only they had with Grandma.

Finally, Elaine had a career as a faith giver. Her relationship with God began as a child where she learned her faith from her mother and father. It has evolved to where she has become very active participant in each of the churches that she has worshiped. She was a Eucharistic minister and taught catechism to young fifth graders at St. Owen. She later developed an outreach program where she shared life experiences and faith with senior residents at the Lourdes Community in Waterford.

Her final role will be with her God as she watches over her family, friends and grandchildren from heaven. God will hold her in his arms and say “Well done my faithful servant.”

Family will receive friends Wed 4-8 PM at A. J. Desmond & Sons (Vasu, Rodgers & Connell Chapel), 32515 Woodward (between 13-14 Mile), 248-549-0500.

Funeral Mass Thursday 11 AM at St Owen Catholic Church, 6869 Franklin, Bloomfield Hills. Visitation at church begins at 10:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes can be made to Children’s Network of Greater St. Louis, www.cmn-stl.org and N.O.R.D. (National Organization of Rare Diseases) www.RareDiseases.org.