1925 – 2016

SOUTH PARIS — Irene Burns, of South Paris, quietly passed away Wednesday, Oct. 19, surrounded by family.

Born Irene Rosalind Rich in 1925, she spent most of her life in Maine, living life on her terms. Her first love was music and she was a skilled violinist in her youth.

Fiercely independent, she was a voracious reader and enjoyed her ever-growing collection of books. She loved learning and interpreting the world around her. Her curiosity led her to travel to Alaska, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Iceland and most states in the U.S. Her greatest joy was to be outdoors in nature, hiking, kayaking or just camping, well into her 70s.

Her adventurous spirit led her to become one of the first female pilots in Maine.

She was an early student of the computer age, working many years in the accounting department at Cornwall Industries as a computer programmer.

Much of Irene’s spare time in her later years was spent researching family genealogy and she was a longtime member of the Rich Family Association.

While commuting to college, Irene met and later married her soul mate, Nat, and together they had two children.

Surviving family members include her sister, Sharon Strout of Norway; a brother, Elwin Rich of South Paris; her son, John R. Burns and his wife, Lori; daughter, Diantha M. Bleau and husband, Norman; grandchildren, Zach Burns of Golden, Colo., Megan Bott of Houlton, Summer Turner of Kissimmee, Fla., Alex Burns of Brownfield, and Echo Turner of Orono.