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Irene Eunice McCants was born on Sept. 28, 1946, in Lanett. She was the eldest of five children born to the late Della Mae McCants and Nathan McCants, Sr. She departed this life on April 29, 2022, in Brooklyn, New York.

She attended Greenwood Elementary School; after elementary school, Irene attended Lanier High School in Lanett where she was a member of the graduating class of 1963. After  high school, Irene  attended Alabama A&M University from 1963 to 1967, majoring in history.

At an early age, Irene began her Christian journey at the Greenwood Missionary Baptist Church in Lanett. In June 1985, Irene joined the Antioch Baptist Church of Corona (Corona, New York) under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Marvin J. Bentley, where she was an active member for over 37 years. She worked faithfully, supporting the church in any way that she could. She was the president of the September Club from 2000 to 2011. She began her tenure as a Trustee Board member in January of 2017.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Bernice Askew.

She leaves to cherish her memory: three siblings, Willie (Gregory) Turner, Nathan (Shirley) McCants Jr. and James Lewis (Louise) McCants; ten nieces and nephews,  Timothy Walton, Tonya McCullough, Bernita Askew, James Bernard (Jessica) McCants, Barrett Askew, Anaya (Gerard) Jefferson, Monica McCants, Denae McCants Ramsey, Danielle (Eric) Johnson and Ebony (Bevone) Bailey; 21 grand-nieces and nephews; four great-grand-nieces and nephews and grandsons and godson, Madison Muldrow, Jr.

Funeral services for Ms. McCants will be held on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at 1 p.m. EST from the Greenwood Baptist Church in Lanett with Rev. Marvin C. James, Jr. serving as eulogist and Rev. George Rampey and Rev. Ronnie Jones assisting. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. 

Public viewing will be held on Tuesday, April 10, 2022, from 2 p.m. EDT until 6 p.m. EDT at the mortuary.

To express online condolences to the family, visit www.mwleemortuary.com

Final arrangements entrusted to M. W. Lee Mortuary of West Point.