Irene Veronica Vargo Otto

Irene Veronica Vargo Otto followed her country roads home to heaven on April 24, 2014. An Arlington , Virginia resident for 50 years, she is survived by her four loving children and two sons-in-law: Mary Otto and Bill Karabin of Alexandria, Dr. Joseph Otto of Alexandria, Paula Otto and Dan Timberlake of Richmond and Jeanine Otto of Charleston, SC. She is also survived by her brother Albert Vargo and his wife Gerry of Wichita, KS and four generations of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Vincent A. Otto, and sister Margaret Vargo Jozik.

The family thanks Irene’s many wonderful caregivers in Richmond, most especially those who were there at the end: Marcia, Alanda, Sondra and Kyiana. Your loving embraces offered her great comfort.

Born in Ida May, West Virginia, Irene was always proud of her West Virginia roots and Hungarian heritage. After graduating as valedictorian of her class from Farmington High School in West Virginia, she moved to Baltimore, Maryland to work as a claims examiner for the Social Security Administration. Always interested in learning, she did course work at Loyola University in Baltimore and George Mason University. In Baltimore she met and married her husband of 48 years, Vincent A. Otto. While raising four children, she was an active community volunteer. She was a founding member of Northern Virginia’s Birthright and Hope Auxiliary, which offers aid to mothers and babies. She was also active in many PTAs, the Girl Scouts and at St. Ann Catholic Church. Irene also had several careers, including Arlington County election official with a tenure as the Chief Election Officer for her precinct and a tour guide for Guide Service of Washington, DC, giving tours in both English and Hungarian. She had a long and successful career as a real estate agent, working for Century 21, Prudential and Weichert. An avid gardener, she derived great joy from her membership in the Rock Spring Garden Club, serving as its president in 1996.

The family will receive visitors at the Murphy Funeral Home, 4510 Wilson Blvd. , Arlington, Virginia on Wednesday, April 30 from 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. A short prayer service will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Ann Catholic Church, 5312 N. 10th Street, Arlington on May 1 at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Columbia Gardens also in Arlington.

To celebrate Irene's love of gardening, flowers may be sent to Murphy Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rock Spring Garden Club educational programs in care of Jody Goulden, 6416 N. 22nd Road, Arlington, VA 22205 or the Vargo-Otto Student Scholarship – Fund #3Z558, West Virginia University, WVU Foundation, PO Box 1650, Morgantown, WV 26505.