Irene Boehm, 94, passed away on June 27, 2015. She was born in Dippoldiswalde, Germany and grew up in Dresden where her father was Senatspraesident (President of the Senate). A highly educated woman, Irene pushed the boundaries of opportunity available to most women of her time and pursued a law degree. At the end of World War II, she moved with her husband, Josef Boehm, an original member of the Von Braun Space Team, to the United States under Operation Paperclip. She and her family adopted and embraced the U.S. as their new homeland; where she served as an active volunteer in the Huntsville community. She was on the board of the Friends of the Library, served as a docent for the Huntsville Museum of Art, took great pleasure in attending the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, and loved ballroom dancing.
Known as ‘Omie’ to those who loved her most, she was happiest when sharing her love for books, art, history, and music with the younger generations of her family. Having lost everything during the war, she placed a high value on education, and impressed upon her children and grandchildren that education is the one thing that can never be taken away.
Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Dorothea Martha Kretzschmar and Dr. Jur. Bernhard Johannes Arnold, by her sister, Brigitte Arnold Ehrentraut, and her husband, Josef Boehm. She is survived by her daughter, Ulrike “Leka” B. Medenbach of Huntsville, AL; son, Dr. Gerhard A. W. Boehm (Linda) of Mobile, AL; five grandchildren, Sasha Sealy (Charlie) of Huntsville, AL, Jenny May (Cooley) of Houston, TX, Trevor Boehm (Catherine) of Mobile, AL, Kaylea Hill (Hunter) of New Orleans, and Todd Boehm (Lauren) of Mobile, AL; and seven great-grandchildren.
Irene was laid to rest next to her husband in Maple Hill Cemetery on Thursday, July 2 at a private graveside service. )
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Huntsville Public Library, 915 Monroe Street, Huntsville, AL 35801, the Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church Street, Huntsville, AL 35801, or the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, P.O. Box 2400, Huntsville, AL 35804-2400.
