Irene F. Saulsbery

COLONIE - Irene F. Saulsbery, 55, passed away on May 17, 2014 surrounded by family and friends. She was the daughter of the late Harvey Bishop and Bertha (Render) Bishop of Jackson, NJ, and had been a resident of the Albany area for the past forty years. She graduated with a BA in Theology from Siena College in 1980, after travelling to the Middle East and Europe to expand her horizons and experience adventure. Irene shared her life with her three beloved children Daniel, 33, Rachel, 24, and Gabrielle, 22, as well as her husband of over 23 years, Stephen, 52, whom she met as her next door neighbor on Sand Creek Rd in Colonie.
Famous for her sarcastic wit and wild obsession with Christmas trees, Irene could often be found sparking small controversies with her sharp tongue, or somewhere in the continuous cycle of decorating and undecorating Christmas trees. At her obsession's peak, she boasted 17 elaborately decorated Christmas trees in her Colonie home. She often assumed the mom-to-all role, giving advice to countless friends of her children and welcoming them into her home with open arms.
A lifelong learner and longtime professional meeting planner, Irene earned her Certification in Meeting Management in 2013 while already in the throes of her battle with cancer. She kept her sense of humor until the end of her life, allowing her humor to break through moments of stress and lighten the mood when possible. Despite her zero-tolerance approach to drama in life, she had a gigantic heart and was a faithful servant, serving others in her job, Unitarian faith, and personal relationships.
She is survived by her husband Stephen and their children Daniel, Rachel, and Gabrielle. She is also survived by her siblings Susan (Jack), Genevieve (Joan), Julia (Jerry), Christine, and Harvey, as well as numerous honorary family members and good friends.
Viewing hours will be held from 10:30 am–1 pm today, Monday, May 19 at New Comer Cannon Funeral Home at 343 New Karner Rd in Colonie. A 1 pm service will follow the viewing hours, then followed by the interment at Memory Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Irene F. Saulsbery Siena/AMC Scholarship fund. The scholarship is meant to help medical students who aim to bring the humanity of healing into the science of medicine. Donors should make sure to specify the "Irene F. Saulsbery Siena/AMC Scholarship" in the "Scholarship Fund gift should be applied to" section at http://bit.ly/QWekso.