Irene Murray Livesay

Irene Agnes Murray Phillips Livesay, Aberdeen resident since 1946, joined her Lord on Sunday March 15, 2009 at age 98. She was born to William and Laura Murray on February 22, 1911 in West Virginia. Irene began work in Baltimore at Bethlehem Steel in 1928, married Clark Phillips in 1930, and faced the Great Depression as a single parent in 1932. In 1942 she joined the war effort at Rheems, which then made ammunition boxes, depth chargers and land mines as well as hot water heaters. In 1946 Irene worked at APG's Officers and Civilians Cafeteria and later at the Service Club where she met Fred C. Livesay, an Army mechanic, who would become her husband in 1949. In 1962, Irene became a Gray Lady with the American Red Cross and volunteered 1, 000 hours at Perry Point V. A. Hospital and the Proving Ground Hospital. She was also a member of the Aberdeen Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, and the Odd Fellows, Rebekah Lodge. In 1966 Irene and her husband moved to Perryman where she put her green thumb to good use in the gardens raising vegetables, fruit trees and of course flowers. The Livesays bought a Coachman van in 1978, joined the Chesapeake Bay Travelers of Coachman Caravan Campers Chapter 263, MD and enjoyed many years traveling all over the country. Irene enjoyed fishing, cheering for her Orioles, playing pinochle and dancing to polkas. She was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed knitting, crocheting and other crafts of all kinds. Irene became a member of Stepney Faith Center in 1971 where she and Fred enjoyed fellowship and began cherished friendships until their deaths. Irene read her Bible from start to finish every year and had unsurpassed faith in God. Always giving something back to her community, Irene made sleeping bags for the homeless of Baltimore when she was in her 80's and crocheted and knitted caps for newborns at Upper Chesapeake Hospital in Bel Air when in her 90's. Irene Livesay is preceded in death by her parents, William and Laura Murray, her brothers, Bristol Blaine Murray, Marshall Edward Murray, George William Murray, Robert Thomas Murray and Graef Freeman Murray, one daughter, Laura Belle Phillips Zeigler, great grand-daughter, Candi Evalt and great great-grandson Logan Perry. She is survived by one son, Clark Leslie Phillips, Jr. of Great Falls, MT, one sister, Stella "Myrle" Rinker of Baltimore, MD, seven grandchildren, Marilyn Blevins of Millers Creek, NC, Robert Zeigler of Kathleen, FL, Debbie Rice of Butte, MT, Ron Zeigler of Havre de Grace, MD, Terry Evalt of Great Falls, MT, Timothy Zeigler of North East, MD, and Rosie Zeigler of N. Wilkesboro, NC. Irene is survived by fourteen great-grandchildren and eighteen great-great-grandchildren. Her family received friends and held a service on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at Stepney Faith Center. Rev. Harold L. Pyle officiated. Interment followed in Harford Memorial Gardens. The family respectfully requests donations made to Gilchrist Hospice Care 555 West Towsontown Blvd, Towson, MD 21204 or donations may be made to the Stepney Faith Center 1422 Old Stepney Road, Aberdeen, MD 21001. Funeral Home: Tarring-Cargo Funeral Home 333 South Parke Street Aberdeen, MD US 21001