Irene Flake

Irene Flake

Irene Flake, age 94, passed away peacefully on December 12, 2025, in Seattle, Washington, surrounded by family. She lived a long and purposeful life defined by faith, service, and deep devotion to others.

Irene was born on August 29, 1931, in Saskatchewan, Canada, to Rudolph and Marie (Herter) Schmuland. The fourth of five daughters—Adaline, Alice, Elnore, Irene, and Hertha—she grew up on the prairies outside Regina, where farming was hard work. Yet she fondly shared stories of childhood mischief, resilience, and the love that bound her family together.

As a young teenager, Irene’s family moved to Kelowna, British Columbia, a place that remained close to her heart throughout her life. There she was active in her church youth group, forming lifelong friendships. She worked in orchards, fruit-packing houses, and sawmills, and she loved the smell of freshly cut wood for the rest of her life. She also loved softball—so much so that she nearly left nursing school to return home and play.

Determined and independent, Irene pursued nursing and earned her diploma from the Royal Jubilee Hospital School of Nursing in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1956. She later completed post-graduate training in ophthalmology in New York City and worked in a hospital outside Chicago. During these years, she developed a love for symphony music, Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, and sports cars—especially Corvettes. When returning to the West Coast, she and a friend drove down the East Coast and across the country in her beloved Buick. For her 80th birthday, Irene delighted in riding through the mountains of Washington state in a classic red convertible Corvette.

James and Irene

Irene settled in Seattle to be closer to her family and initially worked at an eye clinic on Capitol Hill. At church, she met and then married James Flake, her devoted husband and lifelong partner. They shared a rich life together until Jim’s passing in January 2022.

Irene dedicated more than 40 years to nursing, serving as a night-shift emergency room nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington. In an era when few women built long professional careers, Irene stood on the front lines of emergency medicine—steady, compassionate, and tireless in caring for people in their most vulnerable moments. Nursing was not just her profession; it was her ministry.

All of this she did while raising two children, quilting, and “farming” a third of an acre. She planted, harvested, preserved, and canned what she grew, along with produce purchased from local farmers in the Puyallup Valley. Her homemade dill pickles were legendary among family and friends.

After retirement, Irene and Jim enjoyed time together in Tucson, Arizona, and later in Frisco, Texas where they developed large circles of strong friendships through their church, traveled and enjoyed life. In later years, they moved into the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Jenny, where Irene delighted in the company of their beloved dogs, Jax and Teddy, and cherished more time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In early 2025 Irene moved to Seattle to be closer to her daughter, Marie. She quickly became a beloved member of the Brookdale West Seattle community, sharing her gifts of kindness, good humor, and hospitality with everyone around her.

Hospitality was a deeply held value for Irene and something she practiced wholeheartedly. It showed up in countless ways: keeping ER staff well fed with homemade baked goods; hosting holiday dinners with china place settings for thirty; welcoming even larger crowds for church potlucks in Arizona; and, at age 94, finding a way to host Thanksgiving one last time in Seattle. Though naturally shy, Irene reached out to make others feel welcome and included—caring for neighbors, delivering donuts and coffee to less-mobile Sunday School classmates at Stonebriar Community Church, and bringing fruit to friends at the Brookdale.

From an early age, Irene demonstrated resilience, independence, and a quiet but powerful calling to serve. Above all, her life was grounded in a deep and unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ. Her faith guided every chapter of her life, and she remained actively involved in her church wherever she lived, serving faithfully and humbly wherever there was a need. Her strength, grace, and humility were reflections of that faith.

Irene is survived by her children, Marie Flake and Wayne Flake; her daughter-in-law, Jenny Flake; her grandchildren, Breanna Guntert, Bailee Tumlinson, Alex Schwans, and Matthew Schwans; and her cherished great-grandchildren, Landon Guntert, Ryleigh Guntert, and Graham Tumlinson.

Irene lived a life rooted in faith, marked by quiet strength and generous love. She served others humbly and faithfully, living out the words of Jesus: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” She opened her table and her heart, making strangers feel like family and reflecting Christ in all she did. Though we grieve her loss, we give thanks for her life so faithfully lived, trusting that she now rests in the peace she believed in and hears the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Irene explicitly requested no service. If you want to honor her with a gift, consider a donation in her name to Disabled American Veterans (DAV.org), a charity she supported, or your favorite charity. And be sure to spread kindness everywhere.