Irene Frantini

Irene (Valerugo) Frantini 

1925-2022

Irene (Valerugo) Frantini, the 97-year-old matriarch of a large and close-knit family, passed away at home on Sunday, December 4, 2022, surrounded by the great love and care of her loved ones.

Irene, the youngest of six children of John and Antonietta, was born July 3, 1925 in South Wilmington, Illinois. Her family later moved to Joliet, where she met her future husband, Louis Frantini, at the young age of 15. The couple eventually married in 1946 after Lou's WW2 Navy service, and they had four children. 

Irene was always proud of the shorthand skills she developed and was commended for in high school. Those skills landed her a job at Western United as a secretary, where Lou was also hired upon his return from war. After raising their young children, Irene again worked as a secretary at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home in Joliet. She and Lou created many great memories through the years for their children, and even grandchildren, during vacations to Wisconsin and beautiful northern Minnesota with Irene's siblings and their families.

Irene credited her long-time mental acuity to working crossword puzzles and watching game shows. She also enjoyed cleaning and tidying her house, which she said kept her active—along with riding her exercise bike for ten minutes a day, even into her 90s. 

Irene was preceded in death by her husband, Lou, and all five of her siblings and their spouses: Theresa "Trix" (John) Spesia, Marie (Charles) Tapella, Domenic (Edelweiss "Sis") Valerugo, Margaret "Rita" (LaVerne) Kinzler and her first husband Angelo Lucaora, and brother William, who died as a teenager.