Obituary of Irene Patricia Rivers

Irene Patricia Rivers WWII Veteran & Trauma Nurse Irene Patricia Rivers ( nee O'Connell), 93, of West Orange, NJ, passed away on Thursday, May 15, 2014 at Green Hill Retirement Center in West Orange. Family and friends are welcomed to visit at the Codey & Jones Funeral Home, 54 Roseland Ave., Caldwell, NJ 07006 on Sunday, May 18th from 2-5 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at St. Aloysius R.C. Church, 219 Bloomfield Ave., Caldwell on Monday, May 19th at 10:00 am. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Montclair, NJ. For further information or to extend condolences, please visit codeyjonesfh.com. Irene was born in Manhattan and grew up in Montclair, NJ. She was predeceased by her parents; Daniel O'Connell and Sarah (Shields); her sisters Kathleen (Reilly), Virginia (Krause/Pierce), Jean (Blewitt); beloved husband Frank, and daughter Maryanne Rivers. Irene was a graduate of Mountainside Hospital Nursing School in Montclair, NJ and was a Registered Nurse. She joined the Navy Nurse Corps at the outbreak of WWII and continued to serve until 1950 when she married her husband Frank; a Lt. Commander. Together they lived in many places, including Toms River, NJ and Orlando, FL before returning to NJ in retirement. Her career as a Trauma Nurse spanned along the East Coast including Community Hospital in Toms River, NJ and Florida Hospital in Orlando, FL. She is survived by her devoted children, Jeffrey Rivers, Mark Rivers and Judi Rivers-Nelson and her partner Christine Nelson-Rivers; a dear sister, Sally O'Connell; loving grandchildren, Jenne Tahaney (Jason), Kari Rivers and John Rivers; cherished great grandchildren, Isabella, Gabriella and Jason Alexander. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in support of Irene's beloved cousin Fr. Mathew Fogarty's mission; Trinity Missions, 9001 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20903 (www.trinitymissions.org).