Irene McAfee

Obituary Irene McAfee made her peaceful transition from labor to reward on Sunday, May 24, 2020. She was 91. Irene was born May 10, 1929 in Altheimer, Arkansas to Henry Sr. and Allean (Hill) Dunn. At an early age Irene was baptized at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church and accepted Christ Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Irene was raised on the family farm in a household filled with the love and fear of God, and uncompromising love for each other. She was the family’s second child of seven and the oldest of four sisters. Irene attended primary and secondary school in Altheimer and later matriculated to Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College (AM&N) in Pine Bluff. She delighted in the burgeoning intellectual curiosities and rewards of being a college student. Campus life was wonderful, but Irene spent summers away from college in Little Rock, where she worked and visited her aunt, Ardelia Jones. Irene later moved to Kansas City where she found work at renowned Kansas City grocer, Milgram's, at 35th Street and Prospect Avenue. While working at Milgram's, she met her future husband, Joe McAfee. Something about his charm and wide, gap-toothed smile caught her eye and won her heart. Together, they shared countless joys and faced both struggles and hardships. Yet, their love endured more than two decades. As a result of Joe's job transfer, the couple relocated to Denver, Colorado, where Irene found employment with Safeway grocers. This relocation was followed by another to the community of East Palo Alto, California. Her time in California allowed her to reconnect with her father's only brother, Willie, and his family. Irene’s sisters and her mother, Allean, visited her home on the west coast, and many relatives took their first flights to visit Irene and Joe. Irene retired from Safeway and returned to Kansas City in the 1980's. Once here, she joined Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church, where she sang soprano in the choir. Irene became active in her neighborhood associations as well as other church-related social groups. With her many travels in the continental United States and abroad, she often found time to visit her parents in Arkansas and to provide them with support. Irene loved to shop and dress in the latest fashions. She also applied her artistic talents to decorating and maintaining her home. Years later, Irene transferred church membership to Concord Fortress of Hope Church in south Kansas City. Under the auspices of Rev. Ronald Lindsay, she was appointed to the Mother’s Board, where she remained a faithful and dutiful member until her health began to fail. Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Henry Sr. and Allean Dunn; brothers James Dunn, Willie Dunn and Henry Dunn, Jr. She leaves to cherish her memory: her brother, J.C. Dunn; sisters, Jewel L. Rice, Mattye D. Callahan (all of Kansas City, Missouri); Areatha Stevens (Kansas City, Kansas) and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. The family of Irene McAfee is compelled to place on record our love and esteem for her life and labor. The record of the ages must reflect Irene's steadfast faith in God and her unconditional love for her family and friends. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Irene McAfee, please visit our floral store. Read More

Irene McAfee

May 10, 1929 - May 24, 2020