Irene Espinoza Stolper

Irene Espinoza Stolper, 92, passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 22, 2012. She was born Irene Angelina Espinosa in Superior, AZ in 1919, the second of 3 children born to Eliazar “Ty” and Lillian Estrada Espinosa. Her family resided in Florence, AZ where she was raised. After graduating from Florence High School, she worked as a secretary in the Pinal County Courthouse in downtown Florence. During World War II, she was a civilian employee at the U.S. Army Prisoner of War Camp in Florence. It was there that she met a U.S. Army soldier from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Richard Stolper, who she

eventually married in 1948. They settled in Tucson, AZ, where their first child, Richard Jr. was born. After a brief move to Nogales, AZ they eventually moved to Phoenix where their second child, Mark, was born. They finally settled down permanently in Scottsdale, AZ where Irene continued her professional career as the executive secretary to the managing director of the Phoenix Zoo when it originally opened as the Phoenix Maytag Zoo in 1962. She was a working mom who raised her family while she worked at the zoo until retirement in 1984. The last 28 years of her life were spent as an active other and grandmother, who totally devoted herself to helping her family raise her 6 adoring grandchildren. Irene is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Richard, her sister, Harriett Benson of Scottsdale, and her brother, Henry “Buster” Espinoza of

Scottsdale. She is survived by her sons Richard Stolper, Jr., D.V.M. (wife Winnie) of Scottsdale and Mark Stolper (wife Sharon) of Glendale, along with her three grandsons, Christopher, Rob, and Danny Stolper, her three granddaughters Sammi, Elizabeth, and Maddie Stolper, and step-granddaughters Pam Anzicek and Kelly Wilhite. It is with great sorrow that we say goodbye to you for now, but the love and support you gave us will stay with us for a lifetime until we are all reunited with you in eternity. God bless you Nana. You are loved by your entire family and our memories of you will eventually heal our broken hearts. Services will be held Monday, May 7th at Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery, 401 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, AZ, 480-945-2654. Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m. with a Funeral Service at 2:30 p.m.