Submitted by: Dan Rich
Oct. 4, 1929 - May 18, 2007
South Bend Tribune 5/22/2007
SOUTH BEND -- Irene Gammon, 77,
former City Clerk of South Bend, IN, died peacefully on Saturday,
May 19, in the Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, VA. Irene was
born in Mishawaka, IN, on October 4th, 1929, to Sterina (Canarecci)
and Primo Valdinocci. She graduated from Mishawaka High
School in 1947 and on August 26th, 1950, married her high school
sweetheart, Hugh Gammon, who passed away in 1983.
Irene's great love of life and people
inspired and led her throughout her private and public life. In
1949, at the age of 19, Irene unknowingly started her lifelong
career of public service. Her first job was with the St. Joseph
County Treasurer's office and then the County Auditor's office.
Next, she started working in the Portage Township Assessor's
office, where she found her mentor who became a lifelong dear
friend, Ideal Baldoni. Under Idey's tutelage, as the St. Joe
County Democratic chair, Irene learned grassroots campaigning,
from JFK to Bobby Kennedy's campaign and all the other local
elections in between. By 1971 Irene was ready to run for elected
office and successfully won the position of City Clerk. She loved
her service to the city and continued to serve through five
additional election cycles - a total of 24 years as City Clerk.
Embracing the challenges of the clerk's office, she worked at
expanding her knowledge of her new position and became a
certified Municipal Clerk in 1979. She later served as the
president of the Indiana League of Municipal Clerks Association.
Irene was an active member of the professional women's Altrusa
Association, and served as secretary of the St. Joseph Democratic
Central Committee. Irene received the Sagamore of the Wabash
Award from Governor Evan Bayh in recognition of her years of
distinguished service to St. Joseph County and the City of South
Bend for over 47 years. Even in her personal life, Irene stepped
up to help where she could. Her sharpened skill of note-taking
led her to serve as the secretary of the Italian American
Heritage Society and secretary of the Indian Lake Club for over
40 years. Her commitment and devotion to her family and friends
was an inspiration to all whom she touched.
She is survived by her beloved daughter,
Lisa, and son-in-law Dave Delgado; as well as a
sister-in-law, Wanda Valdinocci; and nephew, Denis (Denise)
Valdinocci. Irene has lived with Lisa and Dave the past nine
years, thoroughly enjoying Dave's Air Force career assignments
and the places that it took them. From the political classes at
Harvard, to living a couple miles from Washington, DC, even the
boiled peanuts in Georgia were a treat to be savored... any place
was a great place as long as she was with her family. Irene
fought a 16-year battle with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis,
which may have slowed her down but never kept her at home. To the
end, she was a fighter and didn't want to give up the life she
loved. It was a tragic confluence of circumstances at the
Arlington Hospital that struck unexpectedly and in a way that
even her strong spirit and will could not recover from.
Friends may call between 3 and 8 p.m. on
Thursday in the McGann Hay University Chapel at 2313 E. Edison
Road, South Bend. Services will be at McGann Hay on Friday at 11
a.m.; burial will be following at Fairview Cemetery in Mishawaka.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis
Foundation, 1332 N. Halsted St., Suite 201, Chicago, IL 60622