Obituary of Irene Louise COSWAY (nee Clark)

January 8, 1928 – Toronto, Ontario
March 16, 2021 – Cochrane, Alberta

Irene Louise Cosway (nee Clark) passed away at her home in Cochrane, Alberta, in the loving care of her family on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 93 years of age.

Irene was born on January 8, 1928 in Toronto, Ontario, to Thomas and Daisy Clark (nee Huggett). She grew up in Toronto with sisters Audrey, Verna and Marjorie, graduating from Western Technical-Commercial School. At the age of fifteen she met Alex Cosway and six years later they began their seventy-one years of marriage together on September 10, 1949. They spent most of their married life in Toronto, raising their three daughters there. Their beloved second home was at “Gar-Vel House” in Muskoka, Ontario, where they spent time with family as often as possible. They traveled to all ten provinces, exploring and often camping. In 1994 they made the move to Muskoka full time, enjoying the lakes, birds and wildlife. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Irene and Alex moved from their home in Muskoka to Calgary in 2003. They lived in northwest Calgary for many years, eventually moving in 2017 to their favourite Alberta town, Cochrane.

Irene and Alex loved taking drives out to the mountains for a picnic lunch. Their 70th anniversary in 2019 was spent at one of their most special locations, Lake Louise, where they enjoyed afternoon tea with their family. Their last anniversary, their 71st, was celebrated over the phone, Covid style.

Irene’s work life began at the age of twelve, working at Cochran Bakery in West Toronto and later in a local war munitions factory while attending high school. She trained as a stenographer and worked at Bell Telephone until her children were born. From a young age, Irene had always wanted to be a nurse, so she returned to school and graduated from Quo Vadis nursing school as an R.N. at the age of 48. She had a heart for people with disabilities, eventually working with the deaf as a nurse and learning sign language.

Irene was so proud of her four grandchildren: Awun Bell, Jesse Porter, Matthew Hayes and Erin Porter. Irene loved to feed and watch the wild birds in her Ontario and Alberta homes. She loved all animals and appreciated the natural world. Her best friends throughout her life were cats, and in her last years, her robotic cat, which gave her great pleasure. Irene was an accomplished seamstress making many of her own and her daughters’ clothes. She loved quilting. With her creative ideas she helped design their first house in Toronto and their retirement home in Muskoka. Irene was a home organizer extraordinaire; she could creatively organize anything.

Irene was a survivor with a strong will and determination. These qualities enabled her to overcome many health challenges. Personal control and independence were very important to her and she retained these almost until the end of her life. The saying ‘Where there’s a will there’s a way’ aptly applies to Irene’s approach to life.

Left to mourn Irene’s passing are her husband Alex, daughters, Marilyn Cosway, Joan Cosway-Hayes, Linda Cosway; son-in-law William Hayes, her cherished grandchildren, her sister Verna, and many nieces and nephews. Irene was predeceased by her sisters Marjorie Clark in 1992 and Audrey Mathews in 2018.

A small private gathering will be held at a later date.

The family would like to thank the amazing team at Cochrane Home Care who assisted in her palliative care when Irene was once again in her own home. They were also a welcome part of her daily routine during her years at Grande Avenue Village. We appreciate and thank her loving caregivers at Points West Living Cochrane who were a ray of sunshine in her last year and a half of life, especially during the Covid lockdowns. A special thank you to her daughter Marilyn whose tireless, loving care enabled Irene to spend her last four months at home with family.

Please, no flowers. To honour Irene you could pet a cat, listen to the birds, or watch a sunrise or sunset over the snow covered mountains. If you are moved to do so, memorial tributes in Irene’s name may be made directly to the Cochrane Humane Society, 62 Griffin Industrial Pointe, Cochrane, AB, T4C 0A3, Telephone: (403) 932-2072, www.cochranehumane.ca, or to War Amputations of Canada, National Headquarters, 2827 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 0C4, www.waramps.ca. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed on Irene’s obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com.

In living memory of Irene Cosway, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Cochrane, 369 RAILWAY STREET, COCHRANE, AB T4C 2E2, Telephone: 403-932-4740.