Montpelier, VT Irene Stotts, at the age of 92, passed away with family by her side as the sun was setting at The Gary Home in Montpelier, Vermont on December 2, 2016. Irene lived much of her life in New England, but her western roots ran deep. Memories of her early life in Washington State were infused with stories of growing up with her much loved Grandma and Grandpa Henton. They were railroad telegraphers by trade, so young Irene would take the trip from their station home to the primary school in town by train each day. In high school, Irene caught the tennis "bug," becoming the girls' singles champion of Yakima High tennis team in 1942. She went on to coach, play a lifetime of formidable tennis, and to travel around the world following the Grand Slam Tennis Tour. Always on the lookout for a good conversation starter, she frequently wore a silver tennis racket brooch. As might be imagined of a person who chose their jewelry based on whether or not it might serve as fodder for interesting conversation, Irene loved people. If you were lucky enough to visit her in her home, she might pique your interest by asking, "have you ever seen my pilot's license?" Irene's interest in pursuing diverse modes of transportation didn't stop there. Once she crossed three states on horseback while helping herd sheep to market and took pedestrian travel to the extreme by climbing to the top of Kilimanjaro in Kenya after serving in the Peace Corps as an "old lady" at the age 50. Irene's students surely enjoyed her adventurous tales. An active teacher for 30 years in Newtown, Connecticut, she readily gave up her desk when the school was in short supply as she never sat still long enough to need it. Once, she even gained the respect of a cheeky student by beating him in a foot race. She did, on occasion, get in trouble for talking during school meetings, but this can be forgiven because of all she gave to others through stories and conversation. After officially retiring from the teaching profession at the age of 70, she moved to Vermont to be close to family and continued to substitute teach at Union 32 High School and the local elementary schools for ten more years. In her adopted home of Vermont, Irene continued to make friends through her membership at the Old Meeting House, as a volunteer at the State House and volunteering at the Adamant Co-op. She is survived by her children Johnny Forever, Donald Stotts, Rebecca Reed and husband Chris Reed. She is also survived by five grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren and countless dear friends. A memorial service will be held at the Old Meeting House in East Montpelier on Monday December 5, 2016 at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Habitat for Humanity at www.vermonthabitat.org , a charity Irene generously supported.