Irene Joan Devereaux passed away peacefully on March 19, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Irene was born on July 1,1938 to Ronald and May (Pace) Burry in Southampton, England. As a very young child during WWII, she lived in safety with her beloved Auntie Frances and Little Grandma, along with her trusty Mickey Mouse gas mask, while her mother drove ambulances and her father served on the front lines for Britain. After the War, her father remained an officer in the British Army and her family was assigned to many places, including Egypt, Malta, and later to Berlin, Germany. In Berlin, she helped her parents host visiting troops from allied forces. It was during a dinner party hosted by her parents that she met her beloved husband, Lt. Col Richard (Dick) H. Devereaux in 1955. He was a very young 1st Lieutenant in the US Army at the time. They were married on December 3,1955 in Berlin, Germany.

During their marriage of over 50 years, Irene and Dick were stationed across the United States with the US Army. Their daughters Linda and Patti grew up on Army bases from Aberdeen, Maryland to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Fort Greely, Alaska. Irene endured two year-long separations from her husband as a young bride whilst Dick was sent into combat in SE Asia in 1958, and again to Vietnam in 1967. When her husband returned from his last deployment, he requested a billet to the very center of Alaska. While her husband was busy with the Arctic Test Center in Alaska, Irene enjoyed hosting and cooking for events on post and could often be found serving dishes from one of Dick’s latest hunts (aka, moose, sheep, and bison). During those years, Irene adored visits from her mother from England (who flew several times over the North Pole to join her daughter’s family in Alaska.)

After Dick retired from the army, Irene and Dick moved to the UP of Michigan and eventually settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They continued to travel, sometimes taking their grandkids along for the fun, with favorite vacation spots in Florida, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and on several cruises. After Dick passed away in 2011, Irene moved to Albuquerque, NM to be close to family.

Throughout her life, Irene was quick to make or accept a cup of proper English tea and loved chatting into the wee early morning hours. She was an avid reader and could get through several books a week. Irene was also a skilled gardener with the greenest of thumbs and she had a particular fondness for red roses. Until her last days, she could still recall jokes in German and she adored visits with her great-granddaughter, Remi.

Irene is preceded in death by her husband, Richard Devereaux (2011); her daughter, Linda Wall (2017); and both of her parents. She is survived by her sister, Lynne Cheetham of Chandlers Ford, England; her daughter, Patricia Devereaux of Albuquerque, New Mexico; her grandson, Dr. Richard (Rick) Wall of Las Vegas, NV; her granddaughters, Nicole Devereaux (Michael Perry) and Brittany Devereaux of Albuquerque, NM; and her sweet great-granddaughter, Remi.