George Michael Irwin

BATON ROUGE — A funeral mass for George Michael Irwin, 83, who died Wednesday, June 15, 2016, at Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge, will be 11 a.m. Monday at St. George Catholic Church on Brogdon Lane in Baton Rouge.

His cremains will be inurned at 10 a.m. Tuesday in All Saint’s Mausoleum at Lakelawn Cemetery in New Orleans under the direction of Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Funeral Home in Baton Rouge.

Visitation will be at 9 a.m. until service time Monday at the church.

A reception will follow in the Kleinpeter Activity Center next door to the church.

Mr. Irwin was a native and resident of New Orleans until he moved to Baton Rouge after hurricane Katrina and loved living there.

He attended Sacred Heart Grammar School and Jesuit High School. He was always happy to be a Blue Jay where he ran the 440 on the track team. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in chemical engineering. He was a member of the U.S. Air Force ROTC.

Upon graduation, he was first stationed in Cheyenne, Wyo., and then in Nigata, Japan, where his daughter, Cindy, was born. Upon discharge, he went to work for the predecessor of E.L.I. Inc. in December 1957, and continued to work there until he retired in 1997. He was privileged to be president of E.L.I for 14 years. After retirement, he continued to work part-time until the last two months.

His lifelong hobby was gardening. He would have loved to work in his garden every day if time had permitted.

He was a dedicated member of the St. Vincent DePaul society in both New Orleans and Baton Rouge for almost 20 years. He worked diligently for the Tarahumara Children’s Hospital fund, a Jesuit mission to the Tarahumara Indians in Creel, Mexico, in a volunteer capacity. He served as president, vice president and bookkeeper until his death. He also was a man of Manresa, group No. 50.

George was a very active friend of Bill W. for almost 38 years. That was a very important part of his life.

He was adored by all his family and will be forever missed.

Mr. Irwin was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Carolyn Clesi Irwin in 1990; two infant sons; one infant grandson; one brother, Phillip Abell; stepson, Drew Decell; and parents, Lester J. Irwin and Susanne O. Irwin.

Survivors include his devoted wife, Pat Decell Irwin; two daughters, Cynthia I. Boudreaux and husband, Terry, and Allison I. Smith and husband, Keith; one son, Timothy I. Irwin and wife, Maria; stepchildren, Ralph Decell and wife, Sherry, Don Decell and wife, Kay, Anne Decell, Steve Decell and wife, Becky, Keith Decell and wife, Lauri, Kay D. Foreman and husband, David, Louis Decell and wife, Karen, and Mary D. Joseph and husband, Richard; grandchildren, André and Reneé Boudreaux, Amelia M. Goding and husband, Kevin, Gabriella, Antonia and Giulia Irwin and David Smith and wife, Lauren, and Christopher Smith; step-grandchildren, Jenny D. Istre and Ryan Decell and wife, Melissa, Heather Decell and Amy D. Puckett and husband, Scott, Courtney, Lacey and Matt Decell, Hunter Nichols and wife, Amanda, and Chelsea D. Nichols and husband, Scott, Brandon, Blake, Elizabeth and Will Foreman, Max and Mickey Decell and Caroline and Rachel Joseph; and a number of great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, Mr. Irwin requested that donations be made to Tarahumara Children’s Hospital fund, 310 W. William David Parkway, Metairie, LA 70005 or to Jesuit High School, 4133 Banks St., New Orleans, LA 70119.