This memorial has been established by her family in support of the TGen Pancreatic Cancer Research Program.
Irene Evelyn Cannady, age 74, surrounded by her family and longtime friends, passed away peacefully at her home in LaGrange, GA, on Saturday, September 17, 2011. She was born in Wyandotte, Michigan on September 4, 1937 to Oscar Eugene Wilson of New Brunswick, Canada and Jean Wylie of Glasgow, Scotland, who were married there in New Brunswick. Their family later moved to Santa Monica California, where Irene grew up and attended school.
She was a graduate of Bishop Johnson College of Nursing at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California, when she met & soon married Ronald C. "RC" Cannady. Both parents and an infant sister preceded her in death.
"MISS IRENE" spent her life devoted to family and willingly accepted the challenges of supporting her husband in his work and raising her children in different and the sometimes difficult surroundings dictated by her husband's employment. She protected her children & on one occasion after days of danger, food shortages & violence, managed to get them on the last airplane out of an African country erupting in civil war.
Irene's Scottish upbringing influenced her in becoming a virtual legend of precise record keeping & financial accuracy. She saved virtually every receipt and all memorabilia. She was "RC's" close partner and a vital part of beginning the family aviation businesses. First, in Long Beach, California and later at Gatwick England, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and on to Texas, Arizona, & LaGrange, Georgia. She also travelled in South America. Her most favored travels were visits to Scotland and to close friends in Liechtenstein & England.
However, "Miss Irene's" most favorite place was the BOX L, the family ranch near Prescott, Arizona, where she lived for 16 years before moving to Georgia in 1996. She deeply enjoyed horses, having begun riding at a young age on Ronald Reagan's horse in Will Rogers State park in California. She loved animals and shared the love of generations of Beagle dogs she dearly loved. She enjoyed and collected Western & Indian Arts. She supported American Western Art and the Booth Western Art Museum's permanent collection.
She enjoyed and was active in Genealogy, researching & compiling several family histories. She and her daughter Stephanie Kim built a library of books & data, having input over 70,000 names into her records. Over these past years, Genealogical research was her most enjoyed activity. She also supported & enjoyed her grandchildren who were active in dance & the arts.
Irene was a strong but caring & generous lady, always putting others before herself. She was very patriotic and actively supported our troops, gathering things & sending them to our soldiers in harm's way. She always felt the commitment to showing her support by helping the surviving families of those who had given their lives or were wounded in the fight for our country's freedom.
"Miss Irene" is survived by "RC" Cannady, her loving & devoted husband of 55 years, daughter Stephanie Kim Cannady, now of LaGrange, as well as two sons & grandchildren. Her sons, Ronald C Cannady II & wife Julie Nivens Cannady, their children Marissa Wilson, Ryan Craig, Macy Burns. Also son Michael Eugene Cannady, his children Timothy Michael, Kathryn Alyce, Danielle Marie, Michael Austin and their mother Jennifer Marie Cannady. As well as close family Laurie & Sherry Wilson, and their adult children David & Andrea of New Brunswick Canada.
Irene put up a brief but valiant fight, succumbing only 60 days after the discovery of her advanced pancreatic cancer condition.
If you wish to donate to the Irene Evelyn Cannady Memorial Fund in support of pancreatic cancer research, please click here.
