Irene Gingras

Irene Gingras, age 70, of Wayne passed peacefully at home on Friday, October 1, 2021.

She was born to Joseph and Evelyn Stoll in Westchester County, New York and raised in Saddle Brook, NJ. She graduated from Saddle Brook High School with the Class of 1969, where she would say she “carried a French Horn” in the band. She continued her education at William Paterson Teacher’s College in Wayne where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education with the Class of 1973.

Irene met Bernard Gingras, her future husband, freshman year of high school. When they went to the Junior Prom they both had other dates and Irene set it up so that she double dated with Bernie. Irene ditched her date shortly after the prom and then had her friends badger Bernie to take her on a date. Both Bernie and Irene also worked at the local Kresge’s where she was a waitress and he was a cook. Their first date, August 7, 1968, was walking to the local church fair where they held hands and they never let go for over for over fifty years. Knowing Irene’s mother was ill with cancer in 1972, Bernard bought an engagement ring and went over to her house. She asked “what's that in your pocket?” and he said “an engagement ring.” Well Irene grabbed the ring from his pocket and excitedly ran around the house never giving him an opportunity to actually ask her for her hand in marriage. Irene and Bernie’s families got together on Palm Sunday to celebrate the "engagement" at the Blue Swan Inn in Rochelle Park and soon after Irene’s mom passed away. They married at Saint Phillips Church in Saddle Brook on June 24, 1973, had a reception at the Saddle Brook Marriot Hotel followed by a honeymoon in Saint Croix. As a newly married couple they rented in a two family house in Lodi and moved to Wayne in 1975 settling first in the Lionshead Lake section of the Township before moving to their present home in 1982. They have lived in Wayne for over forty-five years.

For about twenty years Irene worked for the Wayne Board of Education at the George Washington Jr. High School in Wayne where she "ran" the library. She was a Media Specialist and during her years at the school she worked to receive her Masters Degree in Library Science from William Paterson University in Wayne.

Irene will be lovingly remembered for her cooking and baking. Rumor has it Bernie told Irene she had to learn to cook if she wanted to marry him. Well she took that to heart and first learned to cook from Bernie’s mother and grandmother. Her special “Mimi Cake” (coffee cake), carrot cake, and Christmas cookies will be dearly missed. She was always the host of holidays and special family get-togethers where anyone and everyone were welcome. She had, perhaps, the bluest eyes in the entire world. Irene was also devoted to her Catholic faith.

Irene was the absolute best friend and devoted wife of Bernard Gingras; loving mother of Bernard Gingras, Jr. and his wife Clelia Di Tacchio of Montclair and Danielle Rappaport and her husband Jason of Lawrenceville; she was the cherished Mimi (grandmother) of Logan and Andrew Rappaport and Henry and Sofia Gingras; loved aunt of Jennifer Cashin and her husband Brian of Fair Lawn; much loved sister of Dianne Militano and her husband Peter of Flemington and Raymond Stoll and his wife Barbara of Gouldsboro, PA.

In lieu of flowers make a donation in her name to a favorite charity, especially to help battle pancreatic cancer.