Maxfield R. “Maxi” Irish, 90, a longtime well-known Waterbury businessman, passed away in the comfort of his home and family on Saturday, November 26, 2016. Born in Montpelier on October 21, 1926, he was the son of the late Raymond and Zoe (Smith) Irish. On August 25, 1950, he married the former Margery L. Towne in Waterbury.
Maxi attended Waterbury High School where he was a member of the basketball team and later played semi-pro basketball with the Waterbury Town team. At the age of 17, Maxi took a detour from his education, joined the U.S. Navy with permission by his parents and served his country during WWII. Maxi returned to Waterbury High School and graduated in 1947. His military service continued as a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve, and then in May of 1953 he joined the Vermont National Guard and was activated to serve during the Korean War. Maxi’s total military service spanned 28 years, retiring at the rank of major in 1971.
Maxi’s true calling and passion was being the proprietor, master butcher and raconteur of the I’Deal Market on North Main Street in Waterbury. His vocation began working for several grocery businesses in Waterbury that included Richard and Virginia White’s store and Ryle’s Market, owned by Homer and Nora Ryle. When Ryle’s Market came up for sale, Maxi and Walter Deal purchased it and the I’Deal Market was founded (I for Irish and Deal). Maxi became the sole proprietor, was later joined by his wife, Margery, and together they enjoyed a total of 52 years serving multiple generations in the central Vermont area with custom cut meats and groceries.
Maxi’s memberships included the Harry N. Cutting American Legion Post 59, the VFW Post 10034, both of Waterbury, the VFW Post 792 of Montpelier and the Elks Club in Montpelier.
An avid outdoorsman, Maxi enjoyed hunting and took great pride in building his hunting camp in Duxbury and his family log cabin camp in Bolton. A longtime fisherman, Maxi looked forward to his weekly fishing expeditions on Lake Champlain and twice-yearly excursions to Lake Ontario with his close friends, which included Leo Constant, Tony Touchette, Dave Grenier, Bill Martin and Mike Sprano. He also enjoyed cheering on his Boston Red Sox and Celtics teams and reading a good book, particularly westerns.
Maxi is loved and mourned by his wife of 66 years, Margery L. Irish of Waterbury Center; their daughters, Donna L. Breen and her husband Kevin of Waterbury and Terry L. Irish of Waterbury Center; three grandchildren, Craig Breen and his wife Sandra of Boston, MA, Eric Breen and his girlfriend Mickel Yust of Oahu, Hawaii, and Meaghan Goughnour and her husband Nick of Greensboro, NC; four great-grandchildren, Briac, Lushi and Nahla Breen and Kayleigh Goughnour; two sisters, Pauline Vogel of Baxter, TN, and Jeannette Willett of Los Angeles, CA; a brother, Kenneth Irish of Florida; as well as nieces, nephews and extended family.
Graveside memorial services will be held from Maple Street Cemetery in Waterbury Center this spring on a date and time to be announced. For those who wish, memorial gifts would be appreciated to Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641 (www.cvhhh.org). Assisting the family is the Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences please visit www.perkinsparker.com.
