Irene Catherine Kern Poirier, 83, of Nashville, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on September 19, 2026.

Irene was born December 21, 1942, in Faribault, Minnesota, the daughter of Raymond and Beatrice Kern - recognized, innovative and extremely successful farmers. Irene was the second of six children.

She grew up in Faribault, where she met Richard (Dick) Anthony Poirier while they were students at Bethlehem Academy. They scandalized the nuns by going steady as seniors. Two years after graduation, they were married in August 1962 and began their life together, welcoming two sons, Dan in 1963 and David in 1965.

In 1971, the family followed Dick’s job to Nashville, Tennessee, where they would make their home.

Family and homemaking were an important part of Irene’s life. She learned many of her homemaking skills from her mother, Beatrice, including sewing, and developed a lifelong love for creating things with her hands. As a young woman, she sewed clothes for her brothers and sisters and even made her own wedding dress. Later, she brought that same creativity and care to her own family, making a home where her skills, patience, and love were woven into everyday life.

As Dan and David grew older, Irene returned to college, completing a two-year degree and learning secretarial skills and medical transcription. She worked both full- and part-time for a number of years, mostly as a temp, while continuing to pursue the creative interests she loved.

Her lifelong love of sewing eventually led her to quilting. She made many beautiful quilts over the years and belonged to a local quilting group, where she was always willing to help and share what she knew with other quilters. She also explored painting, and many of the framed hangings in their home were painted by her.

Irene’s sewing skills eventually led her to a position in the costume department at Opryland, where she helped create costumes for the park’s shows, resized them, and repaired them as needed. She also became a mentor to younger workers, generously sharing the skills she had developed over many years.

Irene’s creativity was something she loved to share with others, especially her grandchildren. They have many memories of painting, doing puzzles, sewing, and crafting with her. She would often pick them up from grade school and spend the afternoon creating things together. Those ordinary afternoons became treasured memories that her grandchildren carry with them today.

As Irene grew older, she began showing signs of dementia. She and Dick moved to McKendree Manor in December 2016, where she could receive the care she was beginning to need. Dick remained devoted to her and was at her side almost every day, even after she moved to a memory care unit. When Dick passed away in January 2026, Irene was no longer able to fully recognize those around her and was spared the grief of losing him in the way she once would have understood it. She continued to decline in the months that followed and passed away peacefully on the morning of September 19, 2026.

Irene leaves behind a legacy of family, creativity, and the many things she made with her own hands and heart. She is survived by her sons, Dan (Elizabeth) and David (Deborah); grandchildren, Hunter Poirier, Hannah Hickman, and Hayden Poirier; and great-grandchildren, Liam and Oaklynn Hickman and Kai Poirier. She is also survived by her siblings Shirley, Louise, John, and Terri. She was preceded in death by her brother Daniel and her beloved husband, Richard.

A visitation and memorial service will be held at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Nashville on Saturday, October 24, 2026. Visitation will be at 9:30 am and mass will follow at 10:30 am. The burial will be held at Calvary Cemetery immediately following mass.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Association of Frontotemporal Dementia. Donations can be made using the following link: https://www.theaftd.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/