Irene Carolyn Sansam

Irene Sansam, a third generation Norwegian American, always had a purpose. Born in Hibbing, MN to the foreman of a railroad team and a mother who ran a boarding home for 32 railroad men, she saw the fruits of a purposeful life.

Trained as a registered nurse at St. Luke’s School of Nursing in Duluth, she worked in almost every field of nursing. She met her husband, John, when he was working part-time at the hospital and helped her with a patient. They married and both volunteered for military service in World War II. She became 2nd Lt. Irene Olson.

After the war, they moved to Alhambra, CA and raised their two children, a son and a daughter. One year during their schooling, she and John took them to Europe, where the family traveled widely. When they returned, Irene worked as a surgical and industrial nurse and wrote nursing training curriculum for the State of California, Los Angeles City College, and the City of Oxnard.

Once their children were launched, Irene and John traveled more. He moved to Oakview at UVTO in 2012 and died in 2013. Irene arrived in 2015. She took many tech classes here, seeking to avoid identity theft issues and to remain active online as her vision failed her. She went to breakfast in Montecito Lounge, met friends for lunch in the dining room, and took every excursion that she could.

Her most significant choice in life was becoming a nurse. She believed that her patients should choose what they, not what their doctors, wanted them to do, and be happy with their choices.

When her son and then her grandson died, she learned how caring the UVTO staff is. “The people who work here are so kind and special, and Dmitry [who treated her so kindly when he heard of her loss] should own the place” is her solid conclusion.

Her purpose at age 100 was working on scrapbooks of her life with her daughter. She would advise new UVTO residents to select one thing that they really like and pursue it, doing the best job they can possibly do. To live a life of purpose.

Which is what Irene did.