Irene Arness

Irene Arness, 92, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 18, 2025. She was born in Gary, Indiana on April 7, 1933 to Andrew (Capik) and Mary (Putzi) from Czechoslovakia. Irene devoted her whole life to raising her four children. In her youth she modeled in Chicago. Later in life she worked for Collie Insurance. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Irene devoted multiple days a week to Saint Michael’s Byzantine Church in Merrillville helping in the process of making thousands of pierogi.

After COVID Irene moved to Carmel to be closer to her children. Eventually moving to American Village, a retirement community in Indianapolis, she enjoyed watching geese, painting, card making, happy hours and competitive games of bingo. Irene will be remembered for her love and devotion to her family, empathy for all animals, watching sports and Westerns, playing cards and games, her vegetable garden, Chicago, Indiana beaches on Lake Michigan and feeding everyone!

Irene is survived by her children Ronald Arness (Wendy), Karen (John) Duffy, Diane (John) Dougherty; nine grandchildren Andrew ( Hilary), Michael, Caroline (Ian), Ryan, Christine, Elizabeth, Kathleen, Colleen and Dannie, and three great-grandchildren Mary Louise, Perry, and Margaret Rose, and is predeceased by her parents, sister Mary (John) Evanyo and son Lawrence Arness.

A celebration of life will be from 3:00-5:00 PM on Saturday, September 27 at Woodlands Springs Country Club at 116th Street in Carmel IN. A private burial will be at Calumet Park Cemetery. The family will forever be indebted to American Village for the loving, attentive, and professional care staff and residents provided to Irene during her four years there. They made her laugh and enriched not only her quality of her life, but those of her children as well. In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Alzheimer’s Association https://donate.brightfocus.org/adr/donate or Save the Dunes (Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore) https://savedunes.org/join-and-give/