Miss Irene A. Coakley

Miss Irene A. Coakley, 68, of Becket, died suddenly Monday morning in her home at Bancroft, in the farmhouse purchased by her great-grandmother Rose Vincent in 1891. Irene was born in Pittsfield, the daughter of Capt. Raymond Coakley of the Pittsfield Police Force and Irene Munn of Bancroft. She graduated from St. Joseph’s High School with the Class of 1968 and attended Berkshire Community College with a concentration in Art. During her youth, Irene worked for the Pittsfield Parks Department as a Youth Leader and at the Elaine Powers Fitness Studios. She later taught at the Elm Street Nursery School and took employment at Vlada’s Boutique in Stockbridge. After marrying, Irene took possession of her family’s farm in Becket, where she resided for 43 years between the brooks that flow down the hills to the Westfield River. There she raised and provided for her three children, assuming the position of bookkeeper with F.S. Whitney & Sons, and remaining with that company for twenty-five years. She then developed her long-term interest in antiques into a business, Bellefontaine Antiques, of Lenox and Pittsfield, which she ran for over ten years, and in which time was awarded the Best of Berkshires designation. In her last years, she managed La Pace and the American Craftsman Gallery, both of Lenox. Irene adored the ocean and the sun, maintaining a life-long love affair with the beaches of the Outer Cape. She spent innumerable hours reading, maintaining her gardens, and enjoying the tranquility of the forest. She truly loved to talk and spend time with her loved ones, to go out on the town for dinner and shopping, and to celebrate life and wonderful times with her friends and family Irene’s inherent joy and brightness were apparent to all who knew her. It is said a single candle can light a thousand. She will be forever loved and missed. She is survived by three children, Shane Bates and Makari Bates-Lang, of Bancroft and Weinheim, Germany: Luke Bates and his companion Kerry Willig of N. Becket; and Alyssa Bates, of Bancroft; one brother Michael R. Coakley and his fiancé, Patricia Carchedi, of Pittsfield; and three grandchildren, Errol and Eloise Bates, of N. Becket; and Damaris Bates, of Bancroft and Weinheim. Funeral Notice The funeral will be on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 11:30 AM with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at St. Charles Church celebrated by Rev. A. Peter Gregory, Pastor Emeritus. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to help defray costs may be sent to Michael Coakley in care of the Dwyer Funeral Home, 776 North St., Pittsfield, MA 01201.

Miss Irene A. Coakley

December 19, 1950 - November 12, 2018