Irene Dolores Lancaster Carreau passed away Nov. 4, 2019 in Cottonwood, Arizona. Irene was born in Elma, Washington, on Oct. 19, 1929 to Fred and Anna Lancaster. She had two brothers, Les and Frank.
Irene attended schools in Bremerton and Puyallup, Washington. She graduated from Puyallup High School in 1948. She was employed by Hunt Foods, Inc. in Puyallup and then St. Regis Pulp and Paper Company in Tacoma as an executive secretary.
Irene was married to Thomas J. Carreau at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Tacoma on June 30, 1956. She left employment to be a stay-at-home mom one month before her first son, Lawrence Wayne (wife Ruby), was born in 1956. Her second son, James Bradley (wife Cheryl and son John), was also born in Tacoma in 1958.
In April of 1962 Tom’s employer, the US government, transferred him to the Tooele Army Depot from the Fort Lewis Depot in Tacoma. Irene and the family moved to Tooele, Utah, in July 1962. Irene’s third and fourth sons, Anthony Lloyd (wife Liz whom passed in 2008, daughter Amanda, and son David) in 1966, and Timothy John (wife Gadir) in 1968, were both born in Tooele.
After her youngest son turned 16, Irene returned to employment; first with H&A Bike Shop, and then with the Tooele Army Depot in the training and development program. She later transferred to the motor pool until the depot closed in the early 1990s, when she then retired.
Irene was a Scout den mother for many years in the 1970s and 80s in Tooele while her four boys were active in the Pack 604 Cub Scouts. She will be remembered by many scouts for her examples of kindness, respect, and integrity which she taught throughout her time as a den mother in Tooele.
Irene and Tom enjoyed a long retirement together and they were married for 57 years before Tom passed away in 2013. She then sold her home of 52 years in Tooele and moved to Venice, Florida, with her son Tim and his wife. She then moved to Arizona to her son Larry’s home in Cottonwood until her passing.
Irene will be remembered for her loving, kind, compassionate, and always happy personality. She carried out that sort of integrity graciously throughout her lifetime, and always brought out the best in everyone near to her, no matter who it was. That was her gift.
In respect for her wishes, there will be no funeral services. In lieu of flowers, the family simply asks of everyone to extend genuine kindness to all of those around them. That is what she would have wanted, for that is who our mom, Irene Dolores Lancaster Carreau, was.