Irene Worthington of Diggle passed away peacefully at Royal Oldham Hospital on September 8, 2023, age 84.
Irene was a devoted Christian and a steward at Delph Methodist Church for more than 40 years. She was a regular at the Saturday coffee mornings and helped to lead the worship services. She worked hard all her life, raising three children, running her own shop, working in a factory, cleaning homes, and serving the church. She loved to travel, frequently visiting her daughter and grandchildren in the United States, the Greek island of Halki with her late husband Graeme Worthington, and her longtime friend Jean in New Zealand in 2002. She made many friends in Saddleworth with her easy smile, caring spirit and warm hospitality.
Irene was born 24 October 1938 to Asa and Mary Elizabeth Cook (nee Wilcock) at 21 Linden Ave., Greenacres. Irene’s mother died from a fall when Irene was three and her father was interned in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during World War II—leaving her and her brothers Asa and Brian in care of her paternal grandparents. Her father returned from the war in 1946. He remarried and he and his wife Winnie had three children, Irene’s half-sisters Pat and Rita and half-brother Peter.
When Irene was 18 she married Ian Waddington and lived at Waterworks Road, Waterhead. They had three children, Mark, Elizabeth, and Louise. The family moved to Hollinhall St., Clarksfield, and then to Huddersfield Rd., where they bought and ran a shop for about six years. After she and Ian divorced, she married her second husband, Les Goodwin, in 1975. They moved to Delph in 1979 and spent more than 20 very happy years there. Les passed away in 2000. In 2010 Irene married Graeme Worthington and moved to Diggle, but sadly in 2016 Graham passed away.
Irene became a Christian at 17 and was very involved with teaching Sunday school at Waterhead Congregational Church and was involved in church activities throughout her life. In Delph she embraced the Methodist faith and was a steward for more than 40 years up to age 82, taking part in meetings in the church and with other churches.
Irene also had some wonderful holidays in the Norfolk Broads, Malta, the United States, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand and lots of other places. Her daughter Elizabeth lives in the United States and they would take her on sight-seeing trips when she visited. In 2002 she traveled to New Zealand to see her school friend and stayed for three months. It was a wonderful trip and she was able to travel the whole of New Zealand. The island of Halki in Greece was a fun favorite and she was privileged to go there often with Graeme and his family.
During her time in Diggle, Irene became a real member of Graeme’s family and the number of her family members has grown over the years to three biological children, three stepchildren–Alice, Hilary, and Ray–and their families, five grandchildren and spouses, and four great grandchildren. During COVID, Irene wrote, “God has been good to me. For 12 months I’ve been housebound, but never alone. I know He is always beside me so I give Him thanks for all my blessings.”
[This story was based in large part on notes Irene left behind, including “My Life in a Nutshell.”]
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