Irene F. Degen

Visitation for Irene Frances Degen (nee Bagas) of DeKalb IL, formerly of Grayslake, will be held Saturday, December 27, 2014 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Ahlgrim Family Funeral Home, 201 N. Northwest Highway, Palatine.  The Interment will be private.

Irene was born August 3, 1922 in Chicago, IL, and died peacefully at Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Living Center in DeKalb, IL on December 22, 2014.

Irene’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were her primary focus during the last two decades and she delighted in hearing of and sharing in their life experiences. She was employed by WKRS radio station for 28 years where she began as a continuity writer, became continuity director, and retired as Assistant Station Manager in 1987. After retirement, Irene blossomed creatively. Besides being an avid reader, Irene was a multi – talented and imaginative artist. Her paintings won many ribbons at the Lake County Fair and are still much desired by family and friends. Her accomplishments are exemplified by the quality of the many quilts, wall hangings, and home decorations she designed. Irene was delighted and filled with pride when she had a one woman exhibition of her various projects, all bursting with color and vibrancy. She was a member of and held two executive positions with the Kishwaukee Valley Art League (KVAL) and a member of the DeKalb Quilter’s Guild in DeKalb County in the mid-1990’s.  After returning to Lake County in 1998, she became a member of the Northern Lake County Quilt Guild in Antioch IL.

Irene was the beloved wife of the late C. William  Degen; loving mother of Nancy Flannigan, Thomas Degen, Sheila (Ron Porep) Degen, Tricia (Dion) Kapsalis, Jeffrey Degen, and Joanne (Bud)  Mittelmeyer; loving grandmother of  11: Lora Lee (James) McGrath, Stephanie (Mathew) Freistadt,  Michelle Degen,  Jessica (Andrew) Baxter, Amanda (Adam) Johnson, Jason Corder, Christopher (Jerry Vorhies) Kapsalis, Sara Mynor, Tiffany Saunders, the late Thomas E. Degen Jr. and Zachary William Wrenn; loving great-grandmother of  7: Mallory and Alexandra Drevline, Julia and William Baxter, Logan Freistadt, and Aidan and Liam Saunders; loving step great grandmother of 2: Isabel and Lily Freistadt; dear daughter of the late Paul and Lora Lee (nee Thomas) Bagas;  fond sister of Dolores (late Donald) Moeller and Joanne (late Adolph) Tomisek and half siblings in Massachusetts.

The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude and appreciation to the nurses and staff at Pine Acres for the loving care and kindness they extended to Irene and her family during the last 21 months.