Irene Curmi

Irene Curmi (nee Niedospal) died on April 18, 2019. She was 92 years old. Beloved mother of Tony (Paula) Curmi, Theresa (David) Joswick, and Susan (Jerry) Chesebro; proud grandmother of Sarah Curmi, Joshua Curmi, Kathryn VanKampen, Andrew Chesebro, and Jessica Joswick. She is also survived by six cherished great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews and one cousin. Predeceased by parents, Helen and Andrew Niedospal, four sisters, one brother, two nieces, and a nephew.

A devoted mother, her children were the light of her life. Being a single parent never prevented her from exposing her children to numerous adventures and cultural experiences -- camping, sporting activities, annual trips to Belle Isle, visits to the Ford Rotunda at Christmas, and ice skating at Hines Park were just a sampling of such excursions. She planned yearly vacations, whether it was to Alpena or camping trips out West, she always ensured a time for family bonding. Extended family also was important and extended family gatherings for holidays, birthdays and other life celebrations were regular and frequent events in her life.

Irene grew up in Plymouth, Michigan, graduated from Plymouth High School and, in the 1940s, attended nursing school at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. After graduating and for fourteen years, Irene was a registered nurse, working at a number of Detroit area hospitals. In the 1960s, she attended night school, in addition to working full-time, to earn her Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist degree from Grace Hospital, in Detroit, Michigan, retiring in 1985, as the chief nurse anesthetist at Heritage Hospital. In 1978, then an empty nester, Irene pursued and earned her Bachelor of Arts in health care education from Ottawa University in St. Louis, Missouri. Family members always knew if they had a medical issue, Irene was there to advocate for them and ensure they received the best care.

Golfing was a passion of Irene’s. She played regularly, even into her 90th year, and followed every televised golf tournament for all of her years. She also was an avid fan of local sports teams, including the UM Wolverines and the MSU Spartans, the Detroit Lions, the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings. When not cheering on her favorite team(s) or golfer, she was off to the casino (locally and in Las Vegas) and/or horse racing. She always “won!” She was an avid reader and also loved working crossword puzzles and timing how long it took her to complete one.

Family will receive friends at Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main Street, Plymouth, Michigan on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. until the time of a Memorial Service at 12:30p.m.

Memorials in memory of Irene Curmi may be made to American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, or Penrickton Center for Blind Children.