Irene Brown Sisk

Irene Brown Sisk was born November 10, 1927, in Hedley, Texas, to Nell Reavis Brown and Oscar Harmon Brown. She passed away peacefully in her home on March 25, 2024. Arrangements are under the direction of Wise Funeral Home, Bonham, TX.

Irene grew up in Titus County and attended schools in Mount Vernon, Texas, before graduating from Winfield Public Schools in 1945. She attended college at East Texas Baptist College in Marshall, Texas. She graduated from ETBC in 1948 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Business Administration. Irene met her husband, Walter Lee Sisk, Jr. at ETBC and they were married July 2, 1948. They were married for 67 years before his death in 2015. Upon graduation from college, Irene taught school in Harleton, Texas, and Waskom, Texas, before moving to Dallas in 1952 so Walter could attend medical school. Dr. Sisk was in the Army Medical Corps for four years and they moved to San Francisco, CA, Ft. Hood, TX, and Philadelphia, PA. The Sisk family moved to Bonham in 1961 where Dr. Sisk set up his practice. Irene became a stay-at-home mother to her four children and spent her time being involved in church and school activities. She enjoyed family gatherings and cooking for her large family. She loved having her family come to visit. She also had a great love for beautiful plants and flowers. She was involved in the Women's Auxiliary at Fannin County Hospital. She loved to fish! In later years, Irene went back to school and became a nursing home administrator, working at Seven Oaks Nursing Home in Bonham. She enjoyed playing bridge and 42.

In 2022, Irene received the Golden Lightkeeper Alumni Award at East Texas Baptist University. She helped establish the Sisk Medical Clinic on campus to serve the student's and faculty's medical needs, and she set up an endowed scholarship in memory of her late husband for students entering the medical field.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother, James E. Brown, her grandson, Jamey Sisk, and her daughter-in-law, Eloise Sisk.

Irene is survived by her children: Dana (Kay) Sisk of Bonham; Mike Sisk of Bonham; Scott (Gina) Sisk of Wylie; Suzanne (Larry) Melhart of Bullard. Grandchildren: Jon (Amber) Sisk; Matthew (Mary) Sisk; Daniel (Casey) Sisk; David Sisk; Andrew (Morgan) Melhart; Tricia (Jeff) Cox; James Melhart; and Amy (Todd) Avery, 14 great-grandchildren and 2 great great-grandchildren. She is also survived by
her sister, Virginia (Tommy) Free of Douglass, Texas and nieces and nephews.

The Sisk family would like to thank the many kind and loving caregivers who assisted in their mother's care over the past eight years. Memorials may be made to Boyd Baptist Church, Trinity Baptist Church or The Sisk Scholarship Fund at East Texas Baptist University, One Tiger Drive, Marshall, Texas 75670.

The funeral service is Saturday, March 30, 2024 at Wise Valley Chapel @ Wise Funeral Home starting at 1:00pm, the visitation is one hour prior to the service and burial will follow at Willow Wild Cemetery.