Irene Cary
March 15, 1923 — January 12, 2021
Irene Cary, 97, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2021 at the Nathaniel Witherell Nursing Home in Greenwich, CT. She was born on March 15, 1923 in Vladivostok, Russia as an only child to Timothy and Maria Marchenko. As the Russian Revolution slowly spread across Siberia, Irene and her parents moved to Shanghai, China when she was five years old.
Irene was raised in Shanghai’s French Concession and attended French American schools there. From a young age Irene displayed and developed a talent and passion for languages. In addition to her native Russian, she learned to speak Chinese and fluent French and English. As an adult Irene went on to master Spanish and gained a solid understanding of Swedish. When others would express admiration for her skills by calling her a linguist, she cheerfully acknowledged the praise by referring to herself as merely a polyglot.
Irene met Michael Cary, an American businessman, in 1947 and they were married on Christmas Eve that year in Tientsin, China. The Chinese [Communist] Revolution was under way and by late 1948 Irene and Michael left China for the United States, settling in Connecticut where their first child (Sheila) was born in January 1949.
The young family moved frequently through the next decade as Michael pursued projects in the U.K., Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the United States, and Mexico. Their sons, Brian and Roger, were born in 1953 and 1959, respectively. By 1961 the Cary family settled in Stamford, CT and raised the children there.
After arriving in Stamford, Irene was employed by Norma Hoffman [Norma Fag], a ball bearings manufacturer. She pursued secretarial studies and worked in clerical positions for the Stamford Superior Court and volunteered her language skills there to provide Spanish interpreting services. In addition, she volunteered as an aide at Nathaniel Witherell, worked part time at Stamford Hospital, and obtained her CT real estate license.
During this time Irene resumed her formal education at Norwalk Community College, receiving an associate’s degree, and went on to enroll at Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport, earning a bachelor’s degree from UB in 1974. Irene worked for the CETA federal job training program before joining the Connecticut Department of Welfare in Bridgeport as a social worker for several years. Not content with her schooling to date, Irene’s lifelong passion for learning and books led her to complete her master’s degree in library science in 1981 from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She worked in various library positions, including the South Norwalk Public Library and Paul Hastings law firm, eventually joining the corporate library and records section of Stolt Nielsen, Greenwich, CT from where she retired in 1999.
Irene was brilliant, possessing a keen mind, sharp as a razor, and continues to shine in the hearts of her children and grandchildren. Her son, Roger, flatly declared she was the smartest one of all. While one may dread being on her bad side, she possessed a wicked sense of humor and could produce gales of laughter. She loved to sing and dance, and also enjoyed drawing and oil painting. Irene was a rare beauty, shining brightly for nearly a century and remained so through her very last breath.
Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Maria and Timothy; Michael Cary; her son, Roger; and her grandson, James Jr. (LoBuglio). She is survived by her daughter, Sheila (Eletto), of Oxford, CT; her son, Brian, of Phoenix, AZ; three grandchildren: Christine Tyrrell (Adam) of Sandy Hook, CT, David Boyajian (Cheryl) of Newtown, CT, and Amy Boyajian of Watertown, CT; and four great-grandchildren (Dylan Tyrrell, Trevor Tyrrell, Sadie Boyajian, and Cole Boyajian).
Internment services will be provided by Nicholas Cognetta Funeral Home in Stamford. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Nathaniel Witherell Nursing Home, 70 Parsonage Rd, Greenwich, CT 06830. Private memorial services will be held in the months ahead. To leave messages of condolences online, please visit www.cognetta.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NicholasFCognettaFuneralHomeCrematory.
Irene was raised in Shanghai’s French Concession and attended French American schools there. From a young age Irene displayed and developed a talent and passion for languages. In addition to her native Russian, she learned to speak Chinese and fluent French and English. As an adult Irene went on to master Spanish and gained a solid understanding of Swedish. When others would express admiration for her skills by calling her a linguist, she cheerfully acknowledged the praise by referring to herself as merely a polyglot.
Irene met Michael Cary, an American businessman, in 1947 and they were married on Christmas Eve that year in Tientsin, China. The Chinese [Communist] Revolution was under way and by late 1948 Irene and Michael left China for the United States, settling in Connecticut where their first child (Sheila) was born in January 1949.
The young family moved frequently through the next decade as Michael pursued projects in the U.K., Sweden, Denmark, Spain, the United States, and Mexico. Their sons, Brian and Roger, were born in 1953 and 1959, respectively. By 1961 the Cary family settled in Stamford, CT and raised the children there.
After arriving in Stamford, Irene was employed by Norma Hoffman [Norma Fag], a ball bearings manufacturer. She pursued secretarial studies and worked in clerical positions for the Stamford Superior Court and volunteered her language skills there to provide Spanish interpreting services. In addition, she volunteered as an aide at Nathaniel Witherell, worked part time at Stamford Hospital, and obtained her CT real estate license.
During this time Irene resumed her formal education at Norwalk Community College, receiving an associate’s degree, and went on to enroll at Fairfield University and the University of Bridgeport, earning a bachelor’s degree from UB in 1974. Irene worked for the CETA federal job training program before joining the Connecticut Department of Welfare in Bridgeport as a social worker for several years. Not content with her schooling to date, Irene’s lifelong passion for learning and books led her to complete her master’s degree in library science in 1981 from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She worked in various library positions, including the South Norwalk Public Library and Paul Hastings law firm, eventually joining the corporate library and records section of Stolt Nielsen, Greenwich, CT from where she retired in 1999.
Irene was brilliant, possessing a keen mind, sharp as a razor, and continues to shine in the hearts of her children and grandchildren. Her son, Roger, flatly declared she was the smartest one of all. While one may dread being on her bad side, she possessed a wicked sense of humor and could produce gales of laughter. She loved to sing and dance, and also enjoyed drawing and oil painting. Irene was a rare beauty, shining brightly for nearly a century and remained so through her very last breath.
Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Maria and Timothy; Michael Cary; her son, Roger; and her grandson, James Jr. (LoBuglio). She is survived by her daughter, Sheila (Eletto), of Oxford, CT; her son, Brian, of Phoenix, AZ; three grandchildren: Christine Tyrrell (Adam) of Sandy Hook, CT, David Boyajian (Cheryl) of Newtown, CT, and Amy Boyajian of Watertown, CT; and four great-grandchildren (Dylan Tyrrell, Trevor Tyrrell, Sadie Boyajian, and Cole Boyajian).
Internment services will be provided by Nicholas Cognetta Funeral Home in Stamford. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Nathaniel Witherell Nursing Home, 70 Parsonage Rd, Greenwich, CT 06830. Private memorial services will be held in the months ahead. To leave messages of condolences online, please visit www.cognetta.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NicholasFCognettaFuneralHomeCrematory.
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