Irene Denise Jolly

Irene Denise Jolly, 88, died September 14, 2019 at her home in Decatur. She was born January 29,1931 in Brooklyn, New York, the fifth of the seven children of Mary McGuire and Daniel Lanahan.
Irene graduated from St. Joseph High School, Brooklyn and the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. For many years she was principal of the Catholic school in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. After spending twenty-five years as a School Sister of Notre Dame, she changed her calling and became a librarian in Atlanta. Here she met and married the love of her life Sam Jolly. They were married for 39 years when Sam passed away in 2013.
In addition to Sam and her parents, Irene was predeceased by her sisters Alice, Helen, and Mary. She is survived by her stepchildren, Margaret Holloway and Patricia and Michael Dickinson, three grandchildren, Taylor Dickinson, Hayley Hollaway, and Elizabeth Hollaway, siblings Regina Finch, Bernadette Casey, and Daniel Lanahan in addition to numerous nephews and nieces.
A mass of Christian burial will be held on Friday, September 20, at 10a.m., St Thomas More Church, 636 W Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur. Interment will be at Eternal Hills Cemetery, Snellville.