Irene Phyllis (Gonet) Murray

ABBEYVILLE, SC - Irene Phyllis Stephanie Gonet Collins Murray passed away at HospiceCare of the Piedmont in Greenwood, SC. She was 87 years old.

She is predeceased by her parents Albert SR. & Stella Gonet. Also, her brothers John, Joseph, Richard, Fredrick, Albert JR, and her granddaughter Allison. She is survived by her son Stevie & his wife Pam, son Alan, And daughter Stephanie & her husband Rick. Also, her sister-in-law Carol, her niece Deborah, nephew Mark, Godson Matthew, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great nieces, and grand kittens.

Having lived most of her life in Salem she attended St. John the Baptist (Polish) School, Our Lady of Angels in Connecticut, and Salem High School class of 1954. She worked at Empire Department Store in Salem and the phone company in Boston. She attended the Essex Aggie LPN program and graduated in 1965. She worked at Danvers State Hospital right after graduation until the hospital closed in 1992.

She was a proud member of AFSCME until her death in 2024. She worked part time at Health Education Services medication Clinic on Federal St in Salem for most of the next few years until her father’s illness extended far beyond her 12-week family medical sick leave. Even though she never formally returned to her profession she was a firm believer in “once a nurse-always a nurse” and celebrated Florence Nightingales Birthday every year with cake, flowers, gifty’s, gusto, etc. She was an active member of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Peabody as a choir member, 4th grade CCD teacher, and Eucharistic minister to home bound parishioners and local nursing homes. She was fluent in the Polish language as well as cooking traditional dishes. Easter, Christmas, and family gatherings won’t be the same without her kielbasa. Irene was a polka groupie who enjoyed following her favorite bands up and down the East coast & parts of Canada. She loved her hometown of Salem, all things Halloween, and The Wizard of Oz. She won best individual costume at the last Halloween party she was able to attend. She will best be remembered for her love of family. It didn’t matter if it was the one she was born into, people who joined through marriage, wonderful lifelong friends she made along the way, or her beloved Danvers State family. Irene adored you all.

ARRANGEMENTS: Relatives and friends are welcome to attend her funeral mass celebrated at St Thomas in Peabody, MA at 10:00am on Thursday April 9, 2026 (Please meet at church) followed by burial at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem, MA. Assisting the family with the arrangements is O’Donnell Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 167 Maple St., (Rte. 62) Danvers.