A Celebration of Life Service for Ms. Irene McDowell of New York and Tampa, who passed a away on Monday, March 18, 2013, will be held Saturday, March 30th, 11:00 a.m., Aikens Funeral Home Chapel, 2708 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Rev. Andrew McDowell, officiating. Entombment will be in Garden of Memories. Ms. McDowell was born in Bluffton, Georgia on December 23, 1943, to the proud parents of Tom and Mary McDowell. She attended public school at Asbury Speight High School in Ft. Gaines, Georgia and Hofstra University in New York. She accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized and was active in Friendship Baptist Church, where her great grandfather was once pastor. When she arrived in New York she joined St. John Baptist Church and continued to serve God under Rev. John L. Scott. Ms. McDowell had retired from NYCHA, but was still working on the Board of Directors of the Wilson Major Morris Community Center, along with other local unions too numerous to mention. She had recently returned to Tampa to enjoy her family and retirement. She was preceded in death by her parents, Tom and Mary McDowell, 4 brothers, C.J., Willie James, Lucious and Andrew McDowell. She leaves to cherish fond memories with: 3 sisters, Ruth (LD) Reddick of Blakely, Georgia, Anna Williams and Lula Powell both of Tampa; 2 adopted sisters, Barbara Chambers of Newark, New Jersey and Anise Johnson of Detroit, Michigan; 2 adopted brothers, Charles (Mary) Wright of Jonesboro, GA, and Degus (Denise) Wright of Atlanta, GA; 2 other brothers, Fred (Mary) Teal and William (Earnestine) Teal of Ellenwood, GA; nieces, Linda, Brenda, Rhonda, Bridgett (Bruce), Natalie, Kimberly, Erica, Barbara and Merthel; nephews, Leonard (Catherine), Curtis (Gloria), Maxwell, Andrew, Jr. (Sharon), Lucious (Donna) and Claude II (Claudia); and a host of grandnieces and grandnephews; sisters-in-law, Lillie Mae McDowell; brother-in-law, Nathaniel Powell; aunt, Leola McDowell; 5 godchildren; a host of cousins, friends, classmates, former co-workers, special friend and neighbor, Mary Hiles of New York and Rugenia Meeks of Tampa. The visitation will be held at Aikens Funeral Home from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday evening March 29, 2013. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7 p.m. The family and friends are asked to meet at the chapel on Saturday for the service.