Irene Linck LaValley-Petelle, age 96 died Dec. 2. She was the matriarch of the longtime and influential family in Wayland, the LaValleys.

Irene, a woman ahead of her time, graduated from Michigan State College with a degree in home economics in 1947.  She was a proud member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and professed her love for her alma mater throughout her life.

Her education contributed to her independence, confidence, and her “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” attitude, which became a metaphor for her life. She was an avid reader, stock market enthusiast, and devoted bridge player. She loved to challenge herself both with knowledge, and physical exercise.

Irene was a devout Roman Catholic with the personal mantra, “Family, Faith and Friends.” She was committed to being a faithful mother, wife, cook and disciplinarian, and was an exemplary role model for living an active and healthy lifestyle.

A snow skier and a tennis player until she was 89, a golfer (she made a par on her 80th birthday), she was an accomplished swimmer and an avid walker.

Irene cultivated numerous friendships that went back 60 years, from her sorority sisters to girlfriends she developed in Wayland, Fairfield Glade, Tenn., and Indianapolis.

She taught her children the importance of faith,  education, hard work, and how to clean a house, which meant wiping down the mop boards, moving furniture, and getting up on ladders to clean light fixtures. She always said when cleaning the kitchen after a meal, to wipe the counter tops first in case someone came to visit.

She was a stickler for etiquette and manners, including how to set the table with silverware correctly placed, how to use a napkin (there was always a placemat and napkin at every meal), and the importance of asking to be excused from the table. Her boys could never sit down with a baseball cap on their heads!

She took pride in her appearance. She was always impeccably groomed, dressed to the nines, and wore a million-dollar smile!

She loved to travel and began doing so early in her married life. She continued world travel adventures well into her 80s. Possibly her most enduring gift was a sense of humor and being able to laugh even in the face of adversity.

She is survived by her five children Bobbette Goulet, Jerry LaValley, Cathy LaValley (Jack), Nanette McElwee (Joe), and Tom LaValley (Nona). She is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Jerome LaValley, and Francis Petelle. Also preceding her in death were her siblings, Leo Linck, Agatha Denhof, Helen Pierson, John Linck, Sylvester (Betts) Linck, and Tom Linck.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be  made to the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Alzheimer’s Research Fund,  MSU College of Human Medicine, 15 Michigan St. NE Suite 450, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

The following link can be used to make secure gifts online: https;//giving to.msu.edu/gift/?sid=12901

Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday Jan. 10, at St. Therese Church in Wayland MI with visitation at 10 a.m.