MERIDEN - Irene A. Mack died late in the evening on Monday, Sept. 20, 2010, joining her late beloved husband George Mack, Jr., to share their eternal rewards in Heaven. Though her memory had dimmed and her strength had waned, she still greeted each day with a smile.She was born Jan. 19, 1921 in Meriden, to George Romeo Simon and Marie Louise Dessureault Simon. She grew up on Camp Street in Meriden with her mother and three siblings. She was an excellent student at St. Laurent's School and graduated from Meriden High School. She met her Navy man, George Mack, while ice-skating at Hubbard Park and they were married during World War II. Over the next 11 years they were blessed with four daughters.She was a very diverse woman; her jobs included mother, bookkeeper, and sales clerk. Her passions included performing with the Harlequins (a local theater group) where she sang and danced in the annual variety show. She loved to knit and cross-stitch and produced wonderful and unique gifts for her children and grandchildren. Irene was an expert crossword puzzle solver and kept a puzzle book by her side while she watched her beloved Red Sox and Celtics. When basketball and baseball seasons overlapped, she could be found watching one game on the console TV and another on a small portable. She loved bingo, and she played twice a week for many years. She enjoyed trips to Foxwoods where she often won on the slots. Irene was a nature lover, appreciating brilliant sunsets from her winter location in Bonita Springs, Fla., and the colorful show of fall foliage that New England has to offer. Most of all, she loved her daughters and eagerly shared her pride in them and their children.She is survived by four daughters, Diane and her husband, Michael Ellis, of Meriden, Suzanne and her husband, Roger Cornwell, of Wallingford, Mary Lynne and her husband John Porto, of Meriden, and Marianne 'Petie' Mack and her husband, Ronald Benoit, of Bloomfield; survivors also include nine grandchildren and their families: George Ellis and his daughter, Rose Irene, Scott Ellis and his children, Jacob and Jessica, Sara-Jane Crowell and her husband, Jon Stein, Jill and her husband, Douglas Papallo and their daughters, Jordyn and Addyson, Stacy Crowell and her husband, Paul Masi and their sons, Noah and Jackson, Joseph Crowell and his fiancé, Chassity Miller and their children, Jeremy, Juli and Reina, Christopher and his wife, Candice and their children, Caitlin and Tyler, Carolyn Coleman, Kristin Mack Schaedler and her son, Raven Kunz. She was predeceased by two sisters, Pearl and her husband, Mirel Girard and Annette Krupa; and a brother, Charles (Pete) Simon, all of Meriden.The funeral will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 9:15 a.m. from the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 E. Main St., Meriden, and at 10 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Church for a Mass of Christian burial. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday, Sept. 24, from 4 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Miller Memorial Community, 360 Broad St., Meriden, CT 06450, for the express use of the recreational department or to St. Rose of Lima Church, 35 Center St., Meriden, CT 06450.The family wishes to give special thanks to the staff at Miller Memorial Community, especially Jonathan, Patty and Amanda of the recreation department and to Lourdes, Dawn and Vicki of the nursing staff of Edwards Pavilion-I, who treated Irene so warmly. www.jferryfh.com