Irene Faye Henderson, 78, passed away on Saturday, August 10, 2019 in Sandpoint, Idaho. Interment and military honors will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 22, 2019, at the Washington State Veteran’s Cemetery in Medical Lake, Washington.

Irene was born the daughter of Orville and Bessie Heath on August 21, 1940, in Sandpoint, Idaho. She was the 10th of 12 children. She grew up on her parent’s farm in Algoma. Irene attended grade school in the one-room school house in Algoma. She then attended Sandpoint Senior High where she graduated. After high school, Irene joined the United States Air Force where she received an honorable discharge on November 24, 1961, at Barksdale Air Force Base Louisiana.

Irene went to work for Providence Hospital in Wallace, Idaho, and later at Provi-dence Hospital in Seattle, Washing-ton. She then was employed as a civilian telephone operator for the United States Coast Guard in Seattle and, during her employment there, she met her husband of 42 years, Thomas Henderson, who was stationed at the U.S. Coast Guard in Seattle. Tom and Irene were married on August 16, 1973 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

They moved to Alaska after Tom was stationed there at Cape Hinchinbrook Lighthouse, Hinchinbrook Island and later Adak Naval Facility on Adak Island. Tom was then transferred to Astoria, Oregon, where they lived until Tom’s retirement in 1978.

In 1985, Tom and Irene moved to the Sandpoint area where they bought a farm on Lakeshore Drive. Irene enjoyed working as a volunteer at the Sagle Senior Center and participating in the Red Hat organization.

She is survived by her four sisters, Shirley (Gary) Duke of Entiat, Washington, Evelyne Anderson of Clark Fork, Idaho, Edith Stolley of Moyie Springs, Idaho, and Lavina Laverdure, of Algoma, Idaho; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Orville and Bessie; her husband, Tom Henderson; five brothers, Wayne, Allen, Louis, Owen, and Emmerson (Tam); and three sisters, Dixie Seybold, Opal Byfield, and Elaine.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Irene’s online memorial at lakeviewfuneral.com and sign her guest book.