Irene Lillian Wilbanks

She was born on March 26, 1917, in London, England, where she lived until World War II started. She then joined the Royal Corps of Signals and was stationed in Inverness, Scotland, where her unit worked on cracking German military codes. In 1942, while at the Bishop's Stortford Allied Air Base, she met U.S. Army Air Corps Corporal Clarence L. Wilbanks from Gadsden. They were married in early 1943 and had a daughter, Avril, later that year. Irene boarded a ship for the U.S. with 18-month-old Avril in early 1945, where she lived briefly in Atlanta, Ga., while waiting on Clarence to return from the war later that year. They then moved to Gadsden, where they lived the remainder of their lives. Irene worked as an administrative assistant for various attorneys and for several years as Mayor Hugh Patterson's secretary in the 1950s. In the 1960s, she worked in the Holy Name of Jesus Hospital (now Riverview) administrative office, then spent over 25 years working as an office administrator for Dr. Elias Ghafary's nephrology practice. She was awarded the National Association of Secretary's Alabama Secretary of the Year twice. She was a devout Christian, in the Anglican Church as a child and as an active member of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter in Gadsden for over 60 years. She loved animals and strongly supported the Humane Society and many other charities. She was preceded in death by husband Clarence of 45 years.

She is survived by two sisters, Jean Gregson of Dereham, England, and Vera Face of London; daughter, Avril Horsley and her husband, David, of Gadsden; grandchildren, Jeff Horsley and his wife, Caroline, of Atlanta, Ga., and Jennifer Weatherilt and her husband, Nathan, of Clearwater, Fla. And she was blessed with four great-grandchildren, Carter, Ava, Will and Catherine, whom she adored immensely.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Etowah County Humane Society or the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter would be appreciated.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, 2013, at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter. The family will receive friends at the church for one hour prior to the service.