Irene Genevieve Williams

Irene Genevieve Williams (Crosthwaite) was received into God’s hands on Wednesday night, April 8, 2026, at 10:08 pm. She will be sorely missed by her three sons, Mark, Lance, and Bryan, their wives Julie, Jane, and Monica respectively, her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Irene was born at the San Diego home of Marcos and Cristina Crosthwaite on November 24, 1925. She was the youngest of their five children. She graduated from San Diego High in January of 1944, and married her high school sweetheart, William A. Williams (Bill) in October of 1947. As Bill was a US Navy sailor, Irene became a Navy Wife, a challenging and admirable role. When Bill was made an officer, he, Irene, and the three boys moved to Panama in 1960, for a memorable adventure. They lived in the jungle with deadly snakes, sloths hanging from tree limbs, big bats (Ugh!), and were there during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They returned to San Diego in 1963, to make their home in La Mesa. In 1965, they moved to Hawaii for another duty station for Bill. The family returned to San Diego and their La Mesa home in 1968. Irene was widowed in 1974. She kept their La Mesa home where she lived happily and independently until age 99.

After Bill’s passing, Irene went to work for the San Diego Unified School District as a bilingual teacher’s aide. She loved her job and working with the students. She put in 30 years with SDUSD when she retired at Burbank Elementary as the library clerk, a position she loved.

After retiring, Irene really took off—twice a week or more, on the golf course, and playing in out-of-town tournaments. (She had learned to play golf so she could play with Bill.) Irene had always loved sports growing up and was very good at them. She loved playing tennis, badminton, and especially golf. She became very good at it. A natural athlete. She was a member of the Admiral Baker Women’s Golf Club and Mission Trails Ladies Golf for many years. She had to retire from playing golf in 2015 (age 90), because of back issues.

Irene traveled with friends to foreign lands, China, Russia, Scotland, etc. Cruises. Trips to see Navy friends she and Bill had made. Trips to see her extended family. She played cards with “The Birthday Club,” friends, and others. She loved games--card games, board games, dice games. She was a jigsaw puzzle master. The bigger the better until macular degeneration affected her eyesight. She adjusted and moved to smaller puzzles with larger pieces.

Irene’s many layers of family, friends, activities, organizations, and groups were deep. The Crosthwaite family is part of San Diego’s history. Her family was enormous, filled with aunts, uncles, and cousins. She still had high school friends with whom she met with regularly; she was active in Beta Sigma Phi sorority; she was a long-time member of St. Martin of Tours Catholic church in La Mesa, and part of the Women of Faith group there. Parties and gatherings (often) at Irene’s house were famous. She was friendly, kind, generous, funny; a person to admire and call friend.

God speed, Weenie. We will miss you.