Great Books leader, skilled seamstress, loved theater, films, cats, and opera
Irene Strang. (Courtesy photo)
Irene M. (Stahler) Strang, longtime resident of Harvard and then Shirley, died peacefully on March 28, 2023, at age 97.
A dedicated mother, sister, aunt, and friend, she will be remembered for her wonderful sense of humor and her deep and abiding love of books, wine, films, theater, cats, and opera.
Irene was born June 23, 1925. The eldest of three and the only girl, she grew up in Malden, Medford, and Saugus. A solitary child, her favorite place was the public library. Her other passions were films and opera, which she discovered through the Saturday afternoon broadcast of the Met. She loved to sew and not only created the couture-detailed suit she was married in, but later made most of her children’s clothing. Working as a secretary and bookkeeper after high school, Irene not only became the first in her family to attend college classes, but was determined to have a dentist straighten her teeth—no mean feat during World War II, but she found one who was colorblind, 4-F, and willing to give orthodontia a try.
She married Donald Strang in 1951 and continued to work while he obtained his master’s degree in electrical engineering. Four years later they built a house in Harvard, moving in just before their first child was born. Irene delighted in being a stay-at-home mother and introduced her children to the theater, museums, film, and concerts at a young age.
She became active in the Unitarian Church and served as president of the League of Women Voters of Harvard. In 1962 she joined the town’s newly created chapter of the Great Books Foundation, which was initially made up of other young mothers. She eventually became a regional leader, and her involvement in it lasted most of her life.
After her divorce, she returned to the workplace as a secretary and office manager at Harvard Realty until her retirement. After she moved to Shirley in the early 1980s, she served as a board trustee and treasurer for her condominium group for over 14 years. Irene never lost her unique sense of fun, and she was particularly proud to have celebrated her 92nd birthday with a helicopter tour over Boston—in the co-pilot’s seat.
Irene was predeceased by her former husband and her two brothers, Robert and Richard. She leaves behind her daughter, Meredith, an art restorer and author of Los Angeles and Shirley, who was her sole caregiver for the last three years of her life; a son, David, a Gilmanton, New Hampshire, physician; and her nephews, Kevin Stahler of Austin, Texas, and John Stahler of Chicago, Illinois.
Any donations in Irene’s name may be made to the Harvard Public Library.
