Harriet Irsay, 87, mother of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, and a winter resident of Bal Harbor for more than 25 years, died peacefully in her Chicago-area home on Friday evening, July 11.
When our family acquired the team in 1972, my mother signed the check, Jim Irsay recalled, describing her as a feisty little redhead who became the teams matriarch and one of its biggest fans. He said that she attended home games as late as last season before her diminishing health made that impossible.
She was born June 9, 1921 to Polish immigrants Peter and Josephine Pogorzelski in the Bucktown section of Chicago, the second youngest of five children.
She was proud of her Polish heritage and served on the Board of Directors for the American Institute of Polish Culture in Miami since its inception in 1972 and established the Harriet P. Irsay College Scholarship through the Institute in 1992.
On July 12, 1946, she married Robert Irsay; they divorced in 1988.
In addition to Jim, she had a daughter Roberta and son Thomas, both of whom pre-deceased her.
Many South Florida organizations benefited from her generosity over the years, including the Chopin Foundation, Miami Chamber Symphony and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami.
She is survived by her son Jim (Meg) and granddaughters Casey and Kalen, all of Indianapolis, granddaughter Carlie (Zach Gordon) of Dallas, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Services will be private.
When our family acquired the team in 1972, my mother signed the check, Jim Irsay recalled, describing her as a feisty little redhead who became the teams matriarch and one of its biggest fans. He said that she attended home games as late as last season before her diminishing health made that impossible.
She was born June 9, 1921 to Polish immigrants Peter and Josephine Pogorzelski in the Bucktown section of Chicago, the second youngest of five children.
She was proud of her Polish heritage and served on the Board of Directors for the American Institute of Polish Culture in Miami since its inception in 1972 and established the Harriet P. Irsay College Scholarship through the Institute in 1992.
On July 12, 1946, she married Robert Irsay; they divorced in 1988.
In addition to Jim, she had a daughter Roberta and son Thomas, both of whom pre-deceased her.
Many South Florida organizations benefited from her generosity over the years, including the Chopin Foundation, Miami Chamber Symphony and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami.
She is survived by her son Jim (Meg) and granddaughters Casey and Kalen, all of Indianapolis, granddaughter Carlie (Zach Gordon) of Dallas, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Services will be private.
Harriet Irsay, 87, mother of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, and a winter resident of Bal Harbor for more than 25 years, died peacefully in her Chicago-area home on Friday evening, July 11.
When our family acquired the team in 1972, my mother signed the check, Jim Irsay recalled, describing her as a feisty little redhead who became the teams matriarch and one of its biggest fans. He said that she attended home games as late as last season before her diminishing health made that impossible.
She was born June 9, 1921 to Polish immigrants Peter and Josephine Pogorzelski in the Bucktown section of Chicago, the second youngest of five children.
She was proud of her Polish heritage and served on the Board of Directors for the American Institute of Polish Culture in Miami since its inception in 1972 and established the Harriet P. Irsay College Scholarship through the Institute in 1992.
On July 12, 1946, she married Robert Irsay; they divorced in 1988.
In addition to Jim, she had a daughter Roberta and son Thomas, both of whom pre-deceased her.
Many South Florida organizations benefited from her generosity over the years, including the Chopin Foundation, Miami Chamber Symphony and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami.
She is survived by her son Jim (Meg) and granddaughters Casey and Kalen, all of Indianapolis, granddaughter Carlie (Zach Gordon) of Dallas, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Services will be private.
When our family acquired the team in 1972, my mother signed the check, Jim Irsay recalled, describing her as a feisty little redhead who became the teams matriarch and one of its biggest fans. He said that she attended home games as late as last season before her diminishing health made that impossible.
She was born June 9, 1921 to Polish immigrants Peter and Josephine Pogorzelski in the Bucktown section of Chicago, the second youngest of five children.
She was proud of her Polish heritage and served on the Board of Directors for the American Institute of Polish Culture in Miami since its inception in 1972 and established the Harriet P. Irsay College Scholarship through the Institute in 1992.
On July 12, 1946, she married Robert Irsay; they divorced in 1988.
In addition to Jim, she had a daughter Roberta and son Thomas, both of whom pre-deceased her.
Many South Florida organizations benefited from her generosity over the years, including the Chopin Foundation, Miami Chamber Symphony and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami.
She is survived by her son Jim (Meg) and granddaughters Casey and Kalen, all of Indianapolis, granddaughter Carlie (Zach Gordon) of Dallas, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Services will be private.
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