WARREN — Mary Irene (Laukkanen) passed away peacefully Jan. 11, 2016, surrounded by her loving family,  at The Sussman House in Rockport.

Born in Damariscotta on Jan. 21, 1950, Irene was the daughter of the late Arnold Laukkanen and the late Aili (Lampinen) Laukkanen.

At an early age the family moved to Ishpeming, Mich., and at the age of 15 moved to Stamford, Conn. She was a 1968 graduate of Stamford High School.

Irene worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Stamford, starting in the accounting office, where she met her husband, Xavier, and later became one of their first female supervisors, as well as acting postmaster at the Wilton, Conn., post office.

In 1986, upon her husband's retirement, they moved their family to Maine, building a home on the Warren farm where her mother was born.

Irene was an avid seamstress, since the age of 5, when she convinced her father to buy her a sewing machine. Over the years she not only created clothes for herself, but for siblings, children and grandchildren, including wedding dresses for her daughters and daughter-in-law, which she was particularly proud of.

She was a true artist, seamstress, sculptor and painter and creative in so many ways. She was also an avid doll collector and a voracious reader.

But her greatest creation was her home filled with love. Family was the most important thing to her. Not only her children and grandchildren, but many others were taken into her home and were welcomed with love as surrogate children and grandchildren

Her spirit lives on in the hearts and souls of her family and all the lives she touched and who knew her as Mom or Grammy.

In addition to her parents, Irene was predeceased by a brother, Gene Laukkanen in 1956; and in 2011 by Xavier, her husband of 41 years. She is survived by their children, Christina Torres-York and Kenneth York of Warren and their children, Joshua, Elizabeth and Anthony, Theresa Kenniston and her husband, Darren, of Warren and their children, Alex and Ashley, Antoinette Torres-Jones and her husband, James Jones, of Washington and their children, Kamrynne and Samantha, Tamara Casas and her husband, Josiah, of Washington and their children, Xander and Kaylee, and Matthew Torres and his wife, Jency, of Boston, Va., and their children, Alyjah and Mya; Her siblings, Ann Marie Laukkanen Mones of Stamford, Conn., Julie Laukkanen and her husband, Steven Eppinger, of Lexington, Mass., and Lisa Laukkanen of San Francisco, Calif., and her life partner, Sam Ramraj. She is also survived by her chosen sister, Gerry O'Connor and her husband, Dan, of Albany, Western Australia, with whom they were to celebrate their 50th year of friendship this summer.

Calling hours will be held Friday, Jan. 15 from noon to 1 p.m., followed by a celebration of life at Warren Baptist Church, 166 Main St. in Warren.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Warren Food Pantry, P.O. Box 294, Warren, ME 04864.

Hall's of Waldoboro has care of the arrangements.