Irene M Beard

Irene M. Beard, 79, of McDonald, formerly of Liberty Twp., passed away on Monday, August 23, 2021 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio. Irene was born June 18, 1942 in Queens, New York, the daughter of Stanley and Irene (Reed) Bogacki. Irene graduated from the Practical Nursing Program at Choffin Career and Technical Center in 1983. She specialized in mental health nursing and worked for many years at Woodside Hospital and, after Woodside closed, as a community nurse and case manager in Mahoning and Trumbull County. She loved to garden and read, and to visit Lily Dale, New York every summer. She was feisty, opinionated, and loved a good argument.

She leaves her beloved granddaughter, Zoe Beard, her daughter, Jennifer Beard, and her daughter-in-law, Kristine Black. Her husband of 57 years, Jack Beard, passed away on April 10, 2020. Two days later, on April 12, 2020, she lost her son, John Michael Beard. This double tragedy would have been enough to crush many. Her strength, resilience, and humor lit the way forward for Jack and John’s many grief-stricken friends. Even in dark times, she had a great love of life. At the age of 77, she moved from the Liberty Twp house she had lived in for 55 years to Woodland Park Apartments in McDonald. She cherished her independence, her cozy apartment, and the new friends she made in the last year of her life.

Irene is also preceded in death by her brother, Stanley Bogacki, and her sister, Helen Terlecki.

A Beard Family memorial service for Irene, Jack, and John Beard will be held at a later date. Visit www.blackstonefuneralhome.com to view this obituary and to send condolences to the family.