Manola Annette Irish

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. – Manola Annette Irish, 100, devoted wife, loving mother, and grandmother, died peacefully at the Springs in Simpsonville, S.C., on July 7, 2022, after a short illness.

Manola was born in Standish on Jan. 25, 1922, as the only child of Ralph and Gladys Brown Marean. Possibly a victim of the Spanish Flu, Gladys died six weeks after Manola’s birth. Growing up in Standish, Manola received much support from her grandmother and aunt. Her grandmother used income from her sale of chickens to fund Manola’s education at the Shaw Business College in Portland.

Following her graduation from Shaw, she worked in Portland for the Maine Central Railroad. She also met her future husband, Kenneth Irish, at an Army dance after he returned from the war. Along with her husband and three children, she lived 50 years on Avalon Road in Portland. She was a long-time member of the Stevens Avenue Congregational Church where she was a member of the Guild and taught Sunday School. In 2003, Manola and Kenneth moved to Simpsonville, S.C. to be near their daughter, Linda.

Her longevity can be attributable to an active lifestyle. Kenneth and Manola enjoyed many walks around Baxter Boulevard. When she moved to South Carolina and eventually had to use a walker, she took a “move it or lose it” attitude towards physical activity, even walking up and down the hall when there was no other option.

Hers was truly a life well lived. She would greet friends and newcomers alike with a warm smile and welcoming attitude. She was always sure that other people would be helped ahead of her. In her last years in her independent living facility, she always assisted other residents in any way that she could. When Covid forced her into quarantine, she was encouraging to family members who were discouraged by the Covid restrictions.

Manola was predeceased by Kenneth, her husband of 66 years; and daughter-in-law, Anne Irish.

She is survived by her four loving children, Robert, Edward and his wife, Carol Schwartz, and Linda and her husband, David VanHaasteren; beloved grandchildren Andrea (Les), Alyssa (Mike), Allyson, Gerrit, Alexandra, and Katherine; and loving great-grandchildren Mikey, Logan, and Tristan.