Irene Josey Funderburk died June 4, 2013 at St. Joseph's Hospital surrounded by her children.
She was born on February 8, 1922 in Sumter, SC and lived most of her life in Savannah, Georgia. Irene opened "Coiffures by Irene" in 1959 in Medical Arts Shopping Center, earning a distinguished reputation as a cosmetologist. She served as President of the Georgia Hairdressers and Cosmetologists Association and was the first living inductee into the Georgia Hairdressers and Cosmetologists Association's Hall of Fame. She semi-retired in 1987 when she sold the Medical Arts establishment, along with her shops in Beaufort, SC and on the southside of Savannah. She formally retired at the age of 88.
She was a longstanding member of Bull Street Baptist Church.
Surviving are her five children, Michael B. Williams (Diane), Dolores W. Bennett (James), Robert L. Williams (Lynette), David A. Williams (Patricia), and Deborah W. Cannon; eleven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husbands, William Doy Williams and Ellis F. Funderburk; her parents, Marion Sumter Josey and Theodocia Bell Maye; four sisters and four brothers.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 7, 2013 at Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel.
The funeral service will be in the Hodgson Chapel of Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, at 11:00 am, on Saturday, June 8, 2013. Interment will follow in Bonaventure Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Kevin Bennett, Paul Cannon, Ronald Floyd, Patrick Gray, Michael Lynch, and Nicholas Williams.