Howard Jay Irish

Services for Howard Jay Irish, 85, of Mentor, will be at 4 PM on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at Mentor United Methodist Church, 8600 Mentor Avenue, Mentor. The Rev. Kurt E. Landerholm will officiate at the service.

Mr. Irish went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, May 23, 2013 with his family at his side.

Born November 26, 1927 in Conneaut, he has lived in Mentor for the past 29 years.

He served in the United States Navy as a ships serviceman during World War II and the Korean Conflict. He was a member of Mentor United Methodist Church and was very involved in the Northeast Ohio Emmaus Community. Additionally, he was a member of the former Mentor Lodge 772, now Temple Lodge 28 F. & A.M. in Painesville, Scottish Rite Valley of Cleveland, Al Koran Shrine and American-Legion Post 151 in Conneaut for 67 years.

Mr. Irish was employed as a customer information clerk at Dominion East Ohio Gas Company. He retired in 1988 after 28 after years of service.

Survivors are his wife of 39 years, Ruby Marie (Paris) Irish; son James Jay Irish of Conneaut ; Christina (Michael) Fournier of Mentor and Timothy Allee of Cleveland; grandchildren Jimmy, John and Emily Irish, Michael (Nora) Markijohn, Nicholas (Amy) Markijohn and Tanya (Adam) DiTomasso; great grandchildren Sammy, Zachary, Sadie and Abby; and nephew Steve Irish of Jefferson.

His parents, Howard A. and Wilma (Waters) Irish and brother, Robert Kay Irish are deceased.

The family will receive friends from 4-8 PM on Friday, May 31, 2013 at Davis-Babcock Funeral Home, 4154 Clark Avenue, Willoughby. Private family interment will be held at Mentor Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to Mentor United Methodist Church, 8600 Mentor Avenue, Mentor, OH 44060 or Hospice of the Western Reserve, Inc., 17876 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44110-2602.