Irene Mary Betor

Beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, Irene Betor returned to the arms of her beloved husband, Jim, January 23, 2017. She is survived by her daughters, Kerry Costello, Tracy Harrington (Steve), Pam Kumpel (Scott), Colette Christensen, and Michaela Popp (Michael); and grandchildren, Allie and Deirdre Harrington, Lauren and Hayley Kumpel, Sean Costello, and Chloe and Lillie Christensen.Irene was born on November 21, 1928, in Liverpool, England to Edith (Butler) and Peter Donohue. Irene attended Bellerive FCJ School and received her degree in teaching from Sedgley College, now part of the University of Manchester. She moved to Seattle in 1952 and taught at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School in Burien.Though Irene became a US citizen in 1959, Liverpool was always home. We grew up with stories of her childhood, from running along the train tracks and walls of Liverpool and spending holidays on the English coast, to her evacuation to Wales during WWII and living in fear of bombs dropping in the Liverpool Blitz. She had us going for a number of years, but we know now that the Beatles did not run through her back garden. We also understand the healing powers of a cup of tea and a piece of Scottish shortbread.In February 1957, at the end of an evening of dancing at the Spanish Castle Ballroom, Irene met Jim Betor, the love of her life. He couldnt dance or carry a tune, and she wouldnt bake him a coconut birthday cake the following week, but they were soon engaged and they married four months later on June 15, 1957. Jim and Irene moved to Shoreline in 1961, where they joined St. Marks Parish and raised their five daughters. As a lifelong Catholic, her faith was an integral part of who she was.An avid reader, Irene enjoyed weekly trips to the Shoreline library and bookstores around Seattle. A prolific knitter, and crafter, Irene could make something out of seemingly nothing. At various times in the 70s, she crafted area rugs out of discarded carpet samples, sewed clothing and toys, tole painted, and even tried her hand at candle making. In her spare time, she sold real estate.Irene and Jim owned G G Cigar Store, once the oldest cigar store on the west coast, for many years. Upon Jims death in 1980, Irene took over the operation of G G Cigar and worked there until her retirement in 1994. She treated her customers like family and had a kind word for everyone and a helping hand for anyone in need. She donated all tips from her espresso bar to Lazarus Center and was known for giving hot coffee and muffins to the homeless people at her door.Most of Irenes retirement years were spent at her condo in Shoreline. She volunteered at Northwest Hospital, enjoyed daily water aerobics with her neighbors, and spent time with friends and family. She moved to downtown Edmonds in 2010 and Cristwood Park in 2014, where she lived until a fall left her with increasingly failing health. Irene spent the last 15 months of her life at Serenity Heights in Lynnwood. As her health declined, her daughters had the opportunity to spend time with her everyday, talking, holding her hand, coloring, and bringing her favorite shortbread. When she felt up to it, they took her shopping, out for Thai food, and even to Costco and Trader Joes. Through it all, her amazing caregivers, Sam, Karen, and Tanisha, treated her with respect and love and became her Jamaican daughters. Irenes family and friends held special places in her heart. Her greatest joy was her seven grandchildren. Slumber parties; trips to Sunriver, Hawaii, Disney, New Mexico, and England; afternoons in the pool, followed by special snacks; soup night; painting; crafting; dancing; and putting on skits are memories of their Nan held dear by all of them.Irene and Nancy Mentele became instant friends and partners in crime the day the Betor family moved to Shoreline. Irene with a cup of tea and Nancy with her coffee and uproarious laughter are some of our fondest memories. However, the best story included the phrases, Its gleaning, not stealing. Look it up, and So there we were in the middle of a potato fieldThough they lived thousands of miles away, she stayed close to her cousins in England, including Marie and Peter McLoughlin and family, Peter Murphy, Frank and Sonia Donohue and family, Leo Donohue, and Susan and Mike Evans. She also enjoyed long phone calls with her Canadian cousins, Roy and Marlene Murphy. She cherished her visits with Jina Lankford and considered Muriel Martin, whom she knew since childhood, the sister she never had. And, with her family back in England, Irene was happy to be welcomed into the Betor family. Many holidays were shared with Ginny and Les Nelson and their family.Services for Irene will be held at Becks Funeral Home on Saturday, February 4, at 10 a.m., with interment at 11:30 a.m. at Holyrood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to href=http://www.MarysPlaceSeattle.org www.MarysPlaceSeattle.org.