Obituary of Irene Mary Rigold

Irene “Rene” Rigold left us to be with her Lord and Saviour on October 17, 2022.  Born on November 23, 1928 in High Halden, England, Irene was the child of Doris and Ernest Rigold and the youngest sibling to Stuart, Jean, and Bernard.  Irene was predeceased by her parents and siblings and leaves behind Bernard’s two daughters in New Zealand and several members of her foster family, the Marchants.

Irene’s early life was not easy.  Her mother died when she was seven and her father died a mere year later. Her elder siblings while grown up enough to survive on their own were not old enough to take care of Rene. Through an unknown benefactor, Rene was given the opportunity to attend the prestigious Christ’s Hospital School.  There she lived for the next eight years and upon graduating, studied Nursing.  In 1956, she left the UK and moved to Montreal where she would nurse for 40 years.

In 1996, Rene moved to Windsor where she found her home.  Rene may have been the only remaining member of her immediate family; however, she found a family who loved her dearly in her friends from the Windsor Church of the Nazarene.

She volunteered at the Windsor Elms, adopted several beautiful cats, supported numerous animal charities, and become a beloved friend of King’s-Edgehill School helping close to 20 students attend the School.  Rene never forgot the unknown benefactor who gave her the gift of an amazing education and she paid it forward.

Rene was a vivacious, funny, and loyal friend.  When the end was near, it was Becky Brown and Marilyn Crawford who held Rene’s hand while others including her beloved Heather Lambie, and dear friends Elizabeth, Kathleen, and Heather offered comfort as well.

Arrangements for cremation have been entrusted to DeMont Family Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 419 Albert St., Windsor (902-798-8317), where a Celebration of Rene’s life will be held at 11 am on Friday, October 21, Rev. Andrew Barker will officiate. A reception will follow in the funeral home’s Elmcroft Reception Centre. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rene’s memory may be made to the Windsor Church of the Nazarene, PO Box 694, Windsor, NS B0N 2T0 or an animal charity of your choice. Memories of Rene may be shared by visiting her obituary online at: www.demontfamilyfuneralhome.ca