Obituary of Irene M. Woulf

Irene M. Woulf, 86, of Syracuse died peacefully in her sleep on January 12, 2014 at the Iroquis Nursing Home after a brief illness. Irene was born and raised in Tupper Lake, NY and first came to Syracuse in 1945 to attend Central City Business Institute, graduating in 1946. Irene enjoyed a long and wonderful career as an executive secretary with several companies including Colgate Palmolive, Bristol Myers and finally with the American Red Cross, retiring at the age of 74 in 2001. She truly loved her work and embraced each work experience with enthusiasm, hard work and dedication. Irene was very proud of her many years of service and she cherished the many colleagues and friends she met throughout her long career, especially those she mentored. Irene was an active member of the Syracuse Alpha Iota Sorority, and a past member of the Syracuse Catholic Woman's Organization. Irene was a past communicant of St Joseph's French Church, the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Eastwood and most recently the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. For Irene, her family were truly the center of her world. She took great joy in recounting the many great stories about her family and blessed childhood in Tupper Lake, NY and the Adirondacks. Irene was a proud and doting aunt to her three cherished nephews and she treasured watching them grow up. In addition to "Yvette's Boys," she will forever be fondly remembered as "Aunt Renee" to many of the boys and girls that grew up in the neighborhood around Bungalow Terrace. Irene was also extremely proud of her French Canadian family roots and will always be remembered as the kind hearted and forever smiling "Little Old Lady" wearing one of her infamous French berets about town. Irene was predeceased by her loving parents Oscar and Lorenza (Paiement) Woulf and her brother-in-law William Francis Guilfoil. Irene is survived by her brother, Robert (Helen) Woulf of Syracuse, her sister, Yvette Guilfoil, also of Syracuse, her nephews, Liam (Mary) Guilfoil of Ballycotton, Cork, Ireland, John (Jennifer) of Charlotte NC and Robert (Betsy) Guilfoil of Syracuse, several cousins and especially her most treasured friend Jeanne Shanley of Syracuse. Friends are invited to call from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday January 16, 2014 at the Edward J. Ryan & Son Funeral Home, 3180 Bellevue Avenue. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 9:30a.m on Friday January 17, 2014 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Contributions in lieu of flowers could kindly be made to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception or to the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities in Irene's memory.