Irene passed away at Broadway Pentecostal Lodge in Vancouver on August 19, 2017 at the age of 91. Irene was born in Kosow, Poland on January 16, 1926, the daughter of Otto and Mina Voellinger. She worked for a time in the Postsparkassenamt on Sonnenstrasse in Munich. In 1950 she married Karl Renger in Allershausen near Munich, and in 1951 they immigrated to Winnipeg.

There they raised 2 sons and Irene worked as a star saleslady for Singer Sewing Machines and Eaton’s Department Store. Upon Karl’s retirement they moved to Vancouver and enjoyed living in False Creek and travelling the world. Sadly, she was predeceased by Karl in 2005, and also by her siblings Mary, Helen, Bill, and George. Irene was a wonderful loving wife and mother. She is sadly missed by her two sons, Robert (Mi-Joung) and Fritz (Ping); and her grandchildren, Max Renger and Sonia (Andrew) Renger Mackenzie.