Mrs. Georgia Irby Deal, 87, longtime resident of West Monroe, LA, passed away on August 7, 2020, at St Francis Hospital in Monroe, LA. A private family graveside service will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2020, 11:00 am, at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Calhoun, LA. The Reverend Austin Rinehart will officiate.
Mrs. Deal was born on December 19, 1932, in Oak Grove, LA, to the late Jesse Holder and Myra Alice Polk Irby. She grew up and attended school in Oak Grove and then began a fifteen-year career with American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T). While working in Lake Providence, LA, she met the love of her life, Roger Daniel Deal. They were married on August 31, 1957 and later moved to the Monroe, LA area. Georgia would next become a full-time mother and homemaker. While raising Debra, Donna and Denise, she became an avid vegetable/flower gardener, loved sewing and became an exceptional cook. Some of the culinary treats that she created and shared with all included pecan pies, coconut cakes, macaroni and cheese, homemade biscuits with tomato gravy, chicken and dumplings and fried chicken. These were delicacies never to be forgotten.
Georgia will be remembered as a "fun Mom" who loved dancing in the living room with her girls and their friends to the music of Elvis, Tom Jones and Roger Miller. Over the years, she was the host of many sleepovers and was the first to volunteer to substitute teach or carpool for all the numerous afterschool activities of her three daughters and their friends. She was a regular driver to the WM skating rink on the weekends and always had a car full. Georgia and Roger never missed a cheering event and attended most all of the traveling softball games. They also later loved attending their grandchildren's sporting and dancing activities.
Georgia spent many years as a faithful, regular volunteer at the LA War Veterans Home where her husband lived for several years. Even after he passed, she continued to go out to "help" the many friends she had made with their activities. She loved any and all of the social activities there and at Ridgecrest Community Care Center where she lived for the last two years.
Mrs. Deal was preceded in death by her parents, Jesse Holder and Myra Alice Polk Irby and siblings, James Edward Irby, Jesse Howard Irby, Asha Marie Hicks Irby, Doris Loree Irby Kennedy, Helen Lucille Irby Miller, Dewey W. Irby and Alice Marie Irby Holley.
Survivors include her daughters, Debra Deal Carter (Jimmy Golson) of West Monroe, LA, Donna Deal James (Tommy Millett) of Lafayette, LA, Denise Deal Lee (husband Steve) of West Monroe, LA; one sister, Ida Mae Irby Mercer of Bastrop, LA; grandchildren, Daniel Benjamine James and wife Lauren Black James, Thomas "Adam" James and wife Lindsey Grist James, Scarlett Janell Whitfield, Whitney Carter Howell and husband Evan, Zachary Steven Lee (Calette Corcoran), Allie Michelle Lee and Abby Christine Lee. She is also survived by seven very special great GRANDS: William, Mary Kathryn, Benjamine "Benji", Caroline, Taylor and Sutton James and Carter Howell. Her very special eighth great granddaughter, Remi Jules, will be born in September.
The family would like to extend a very special thank you to the St Francis Hospital, 6th floor, ICU staff of nurses and Drs who so selflessly took care of Mrs. Deal during her recent stays.
Memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or to the Parkinson’s Foundation.