Irene was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 22, 1938 to the late Walter and Sophie (Mikolajczyk) Lukowski. Upon graduating high school in 1956, she entered a convent in Amityville, Long Island. During this time, Irene sought a higher education and achieved her Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Manhattan College. After leaving the convent in 1972, Irene married the love of her life, Joseph Dermot Kavanagh, and began her 40 year career as a mathematics teacher for the Wharton Borough School District, retiring in 2000.
In her spare time, Irene could spend hours contently playing solitaire and keeping up with current events. As a devout Catholic, Irene’s faith was very important to her and she was a highly active parishioner at Good Shepherd Roman Catholic Church in Andover Borough. Above all, Irene loved spoiling her loved ones and spending quality time with her beloved grandchildren. She was a tremendously caring person and always made sure her family was taken care of.
Irene leaves behind fond memories to her son John Kavanagh and his wife Christine, and their two children Conor and Brianna of Byram Township, NJ; her sister Barbara Urbanowicz and her husband Eugene of Austin, TX; her niece Mary Tyson and her husband Larry of Hazlet, NJ; her nephew Noel Kavanagh and his wife Amber, and their two children Adeline and Kaileigh of Freehold, NJ; her nephew Nicholas Tyson and his wife Taylor, and their son Troy of Point Pleasant, NJ; her niece Shanna Tyson of Union Beach, NJ; and many more loving nieces and nephews who will miss her dearly.
A visitation for Irene will be held Saturday, October 28, 2023 from 10 am to 12 pm at Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, 63 High St., Newton, NJ 07860. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place the same day, Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 1 pm at Good Shepherd R.C. Church, 48 Tranquility Rd, Andover, NJ 07821, followed by a committal service at Good Shepherd R.C. Cemetery, Airport Rd, Andover, NJ 07821.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Irene’s honor may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105.
