Irene Cox Picerno was born in a country home on March 7, 1913 near Chillicothe, MO. After graduating from Chillicothe High School in 1931 she attended business school at Chillicothe Business College. In 1934 she moved to Chicago and later met her husband, Sol Picerno, at Whitaker Paper Company where they were employed, Irene as a bookkeeper and Sol as a paper salesman. The couple married in 1948 and moved to Glen Ellyn in 1949.

A loving and gifted homemaker, Irene enjoyed sewing her children's clothes, cooking and keeping a warm, comfortable home. She was known in the neighborhood for her scrumptious cookies. She was Sol's helpmate in his work, keeping the books and managing the family finances. Irene encouraged her children's interests at church and school. She and Sol served as Presidents of the Glenbard High School Band Parent's Association, running a successful book sale fundraiser. For many years Irene volunteered at Central DuPage Hospital sewing hospital gowns. Irene was a generous and caring wife, mother, grandmother and recently a great-grandmother. Her deep faith sustained her throughout her life.

Cherished wife of Salvatore P. Picerno, beloved mother of Janet Irene Picerno Neff and Carolyn Ann Picerno Bushaw, fond sister to Ruby A. Gallaher, loving grandmother of Shane Michael Bushaw, Heath Jacob Bushaw, Kathleen Rae Neff, David Russell Neff, great-grandmother of Heath Jacob Bushaw, Jr. and caring aunt to Angela Imbrogno.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Mabel Cox, her sister, Ethel Turner,and her brothers, Farris and Eugene Cox.

Sol, Janet, and Carolyn wish to express deep appreciation to Angela Imbrogno and her partner John Vitale for their loving care of Irene and Sol these many years, to Irene's dear friends for their devotion and prayers, to the Wyndemere, Westbridge and Wynscape staff for their kind care of Irene and Sol, to CNS Hospice staff for their support and comfort, and to Lawrence Steffes, fiancé of Janet Neff, for his tenderness and strength. Irene's husband, Sol, will be moving to Rhode Island on June 1st. The family invites you to celebrate Sol's life and their life together at Irene's Memorial Service.

Interment will be at Forest Hill Cemetery, at the corner of Ryford Lane and St. Charles Rd. in Glen Ellyn at 9:30 A.M. on June 27, 2009. Visitation will begin at Anderson Hall, Wyndemere Retirement Home, 200 Wyndemere Circle, Wheaton, IL at 10:30 A.M. followed by a Memorial Service at 11 A.M. officiated by The Reverend David Anderson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society.