Irene J. Faron, age 94, of Indian Head Park; beloved wife of the late Martin Faron; loving mother of Joseph (Luisa) Faron & Frank Faron; proud grandma of Christopher, Brittany, & Michael (Lindsey); dear sister of the late Leonard Pietras.

Visitation 3 to 9 p.m. on Monday, July 26 at Hallowell & James Funeral Home, 1025 W. 55^th St., Countryside. Funeral prayers 9:30 a.m. from the funeral home on Tuesday, July 27 followed by a procession to St. Cletus Church, LaGrange. Mass 10 a.m. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery; family and friends to meet at cemetery office at 12:45 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Irene’s name to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital (https://www.memorialhermann.org/foundation/donate) or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate) are appreciated. Funeral information: (708) 352-6500

Irene lived a full and interesting life. She grew up in Chicago shortly before World War II. While her first love died in the war, she went on to meet and eventually marry Martin Faron. They had two sons together, Frank and Joe. She worked at International Harvester as a Drill Press Operator and was very active at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, where the boys attended school. It was her deep involvement with the church that made her a highly recognizable figure throughout the Placerdale and West Pullman neighborhoods of Chicago, which in turn made it easier for her kids to find success doing door-to-door fundraising to support their schools. She became an avid bowler, even though she nearly gave up on it after finishing with a score of 13 in her first-ever game. She also took great pride in being a Cub Scout den mother.

Irene was passionate about a lot of things, but it was always family that meant the most to her. Her marriage to Martin had its share of rocky moments, but she still loved him with all her heart and never quite recovered from the devastation of losing him on Valentine’s Day. She continued to raise her children and stayed at International Harvester until her retirement in 1986 at age 59. The last few years she worked the night shift in order to take care of her parents before they passed away. When her son Joe got married and had three kids with his wife Luisa, Irene was eager to help out in any way she could, from babysitting to fixing up their house. She has always been proud of her grandkids, Christopher, Brittany, and Michael, and enjoyed going on trips with them every summer when they were growing up. The holidays were also some of her favorite times because she was able to spend them with family, including her brother Leonard, and Joe’s in-laws.

Her love of children spilled over into other families as well. In the years following her retirement she spent many years babysitting for a number of families around the west suburbs of Chicago, including the Williams, Connors, Greens, Heidkamps, and Husaynis. She kept in close touch with many of them for years, and even attended several weddings of kids she used to babysit for.

Irene managed to travel a fair amount during her lifetime. She spent a little time in Europe and visited some of the major sites in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and France. There were trips to just about every Canadian province and major U.S. city as well, including New York, Boston, Nashville, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Hawaii was definitely a major highlight for her. And while she wasn’t exactly the kind of person who would hop onto a roller coaster, she did visit quite a few amusement parks with her grandkids over the years. The last major trip she took was to Houston several years ago to celebrate her granddaughter Brittany’s completion of her medical school residency. Along the way she made a stop to marvel at the Precious Moments Chapel in Joplin, Missouri.

Irene’s brother Leonard passed away on February 15th, 2012 – just after Valentine’s Day. His death was particularly difficult for her, and she struggled to regain her sense of joy in the months and years that followed. A major bright spot however was her 90th birthday, when all her friends and family gathered together for a big celebration. She was so happy on that day. Unfortunately, her health slowly deteriorated over the last few years, and she became bedridden shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic started in March of 2020. Thankfully she still managed to get out of the house one final time in October to attend her grandson Michael’s wedding.