Irene Boardman

Irene Theresa Anderson Boardman, our beloved mother, a woman of God, and an outstanding nurse departed for the next phase of her eternal journey on March 5, 2018 at the age of 99.

She wanted her body to contribute to healing and donated it for medical research.

There will be a small private Memorial Service for family members and close friends Saturday, March 10, 2018, 1:00 p.m. at Heights Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 8600 Academy Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111.

Irene shepherded the lives of four daughters and three sons-in-law: Nancy and Dean Stevens, Linda and Paul Fite, Debbie Prather, Dee Dee and Jerry Brunson. Through them, she also planted and nurtured seven grandchildren and their spouses: Deb and Robert Gray, Nathan and Justine Gunn, Nancy Lynn and Glenn Smith, Sharon and Ben Hughes, Casey and Gary MacLeod, Helen and Dan Hedrick, and Paul and Amber Fite. Her great-grandchildren include Justin Gray, Shaylynn and Tyler Cherry, Logan, Brynn, and Tegan Smith, B.J., Cody, and Travis Hughes, Matthew MacLeod, Trinity and Kevin Greenwell, Maisie Gunn, Danielle Fite and Jen Hale, William, Maddie, and Ethan Hedrick, and Bree and Haley Fite, Jah-Reise Martin, Meniyah and Ta-Korria Perkins and Montez Williams. Extended family members who have been very special to her include Jim and Loretta Boardman and their family, Leven and Ann Gray, and Richard and Leslie Renz. We mourn her loss together even as we celebrate a life well-lived.

Irene was born and raised in Wheaton, Minnesota where she graduated from high school. She attended nurse’s training in Chicago where she also met and married Herbert Daniel Boardman. They returned to Hereford, Texas to the family farm, which she helped him run. She was widowed at the age of 44, with four daughters to raise before single mothers were numerous. With the help of many loving friends and prayer partners, most of whom she outlived and all of whom she cherished, she raised us with great love, sacrifice and devotion. She worked as a nurse at the Deaf Smith County Hospital for many years, first as a floor nurse, then in ER, and finally in surgery which turned out to be her dearest love. She was active in First Presbyterian Church, singing in the choir and as a soloist as well as serving as circle leader, deacon, and elder through the years. She volunteered generously and managed the Clothes Closet for the church for a time while continuing to work full-time as a nurse. Her spiritual life and growth were her primary focus in life and she was able to impart a strong and vibrant faith to all her daughters as well as to many friends and extended family. She was very clear about the fact that she was not afraid of death, knowing she would move on to a new and exciting next phase that would bring her even closer to her Heavenly Father. In remarks about Irene, the theme mentioned most often is that she was very kind. That would please her. She also had a love of life and a belief in people that was contagious and memorable. We were fortunate to have such a mother, grandmother, and GG. Please celebrate your memories of her by engaging in at least one random act of kindness in her name over the next few days or longer. If you’d like to make a donation to an organization that fights dementia, please simply do so in honor of her and with our gratitude for anything that contributes to sparing others the ravages of the despicable disease that has continually robbed us of our mother, bit by bit, for many years. May she now rest in peace and perfection.