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Irene was a pioneer in Quaker education and an inspired author. In her own words; "My hope is that sparks and spaces continue to enlighten us, and the glue at the center of our Religious Society’s relationship with its Friends schools holds strong.

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Irene was a pioneer in Quaker education and an inspired author. In her own words; "My hope is that sparks and spaces continue to enlighten us, and the glue at the center of our Religious Society’s relationship with its Friends schools holds strong.

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You will be missed, Irene.

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Sparks and Spaces: Lived Experience in Friends Schools - Friends Journal

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We sit in circles. God is everywhere. There are no right answers. —Kindergartner’s response to parents’ question: What is Quaker…

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Irene McHenry was truly a Bright Light in the lives of everyone that had the good fortune to be in her presence. Her vision for Friends education and her ability to turn that vision into meaningful change impacted our schools as well as countless individuals. Irene treated everyone she met with genuine respect and joyful admiration that was felt deeply. She lifted us up - individually and collectively - by listening, modeling, advocating, and believing. Her legacy endures in the schools she helped to found, the programs she created, and the students that she taught. And her Spirit lives on in every life that she touched and loved.

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I first came to know Irene through mindfulness-in-education circles, and later had the gift of learning from her more deeply through the Institution for Engaging Leadership in Friends Schools (IELFS). In those spaces, and in every conversation I had with her, Irene carried a quiet steadiness, a kind of grounded presence that felt deeply rooted in the Quaker tradition of listening for the Inner Light and practicing the "Breath of Life".

My admiration for Irene as both a mentor and a fellow clinician was boundless. She modeled a form of leadership that was contemplative, humane, and courageous—always attentive to the inner lives of students, educators, and communities. She had a rare ability to hold complexity with tenderness and wisdom.

In the hours since hearing of her passing, I’ve been reminded of a line from a poignant StoryCorps conversation: “Son, haven’t you learned yet that it is a privilege to die.” It is a striking reminder that a life well lived—one given in service, care, and love—leaves a legacy that continues to guide others.

Irene lived that kind of life. Her work, her presence, and the spirit she carried into our shared spaces will continue to ripple outward through the many educators, clinicians, and leaders she nurtured.

I am grateful for the time I had to learn from her and to walk, even briefly, alongside her in this work.

May her memory be a blessing, and may the Light she carried continue to guide us.

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Long before I had any deep knowledge of DVFriends and its mission, I knew Irene. She has been a luminary of Quaker education to me and a friend who would welcome you first with a twinkle in her eye, often followed by an unexpected question that would make you reflect on something needing your attention. As the current Head of Delaware Valley Friends School, I owe so much of the joy of leading this special Quaker educational community to the foundation she laid. I am a better educator, leader, and person because of my friend, mentor, and inspiration, Irene McHenry.

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Dear Irene,

I was just thinking of you recently — and now I find myself here, writing these words with a heart full of gratitude and grief.

Two years ago, during our time together at the Friends Council on Education's Leadership Institute, you gave me one of the most profound gifts of my leadership journey: the gift of being truly seen across faith.

I remember sharing with our group a verse from the Quran that has always anchored me in interfaith spaces:

"O Mankind, I created you from a pair of male and female and put you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."

I shared that I believed God intended for us to exist in different communities and traditions — not to remain divided, but so that when we come together, we might move from seeing our differences toward discovering the commonalities that unite us. You understood that instantly, Irene. You didn't just understand it — you lived it.

I was reading the chapter titled "The Light" in the Quran recently when the memory of our conversation came rushing back to me. You shared with me your journey as a Christian, a Quaker, and a Jew — and how woven through all of it was your deep, abiding sense of The Light. When I told you that we Muslims have an entire chapter in the Quran devoted to The Light, your face lit up, and you reached over and hugged me. In that one quiet moment, I felt the beautiful, unshakeable truth of that Quranic verse — that we are indeed created to find one another, and to find ourselves reflected in one another.

I think of you often, Irene. I think of that conversation often.

Every morning, I begin my day with this supplication — a prayer I've carried with me since my days working in Quaker schools, where I first came to deeply appreciate how much the Islamic and Quaker traditions share in their reverence for light:

"Oh God, the creator of light, hold me in the light, allow me to walk in the light. Place light into my heart. Place light into my sight. Place light into my hearing. Surround me with light — in front of me, behind me, to the right of me, and to the left of me. Let me walk with light beneath me and let me walk with light above me. Place light in my soul. Magnify me with light, and amplify me with light. Make others a source of light for me and make me a source of light for others."

And every morning, as I read these words, your face flashes gently in my memory.

You were a source of light for me, Irene — and I have no doubt you were for so many others. Thank you for seeing me, for embracing our connection, and for reminding me that Light Upon Light transcends every boundary we think divides us.

Walking in your light,

Rasha El-Haggan

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Irene McHenry was my Head Of School at DVFS when I graduated the Class of 1996. She was a pioneer in education and a woman with a beautiful smile all the time. She was very outgoing and always willing to help anyone! I owe her the world for starting DVFS! That school prepared me for life after DVFS! She will always be remembered in my heart and souls as a wonderful woman with a giving heart. She will be missed terribly. Her legacy should live on at that school with something named in her honor. We

Love Irene McHenry!

Love Andrew Ostroff

Class of 1996

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Thank you, Irene, for a career that I loved.

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Thank you, Irene, for a career that I loved.

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Irene took a leap of faith when she hired a 39 year old rookie teacher in 1993. How fortunate for me. A recent graduate of Drexel's new School of Education, I left the world of construction for the challenging environment at DVFS. DV was small enough then that I could easily walk into her office for guidance if my department head and mentor Tom Grant was otherwise engaged, which I did more than once! She excelled in seeing both the issue at hand and the big picture, threading the needle to a result that had the best outcome for each stakeholder. She had a way about her. I'm an avid hunter and that first fall I went into her office to ask for the Monday after Thanksgiving off, for the first day of deer season. Her upstate upbringing knew what the first day of the hunting season meant, she was quiet for a moment and then said, "Of course you can have Monday off, I know that you will do what is best for the kids". I was in class Monday morning. I spent 25 years at DV and cherish every minute. I thanked her often when we met over the years after she moved on from DV. My heart goes out to her family.

With love and respect,

Steve Cooney

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I remember at so many Friends Council educator gatherings sitting with Irene in a group. Her quiet questions led me, and I'm sure others, to think more deeply about whatever we were discussing. I have been missing my times with her, but the spirit of those prompts stays with me. I imagine her still with us guiding us in our Friends education leadership.

Jim Clay

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Dear Friends,

Since being diagnosed with a learning disability as a child and transferring from 4 different schools, I dreamed of a school that accepted me and taught me the way I needed to be taught. In 1989, I had been searching for another school. I went to Bryn Mawr, and met a different kind of "principal," the head mistress, Irene McHenry. She was like no other principal I'd ever met. She was considerate, kind, and listened to me. Irene was genuine and engaging. Irene welcomed me! Immediately, I fell in love with DVFS! We had small classes (4 students in each class) in dorm rooms on the second floor of Harcum Jr. College. That year, there were only 2 graduates. DVFS was like "home." Irene made DVFS the best school experience I have ever had.

Even though I only attended for 2 years, I'll never forget Irene McHenry. She changed my life, along with so many others.

Toby Baker

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I am gutted and heartbroken to learn of Irene’s passing. I met Irene 40 years ago when I went for my student interview to join the founding class at DVFS. Her office was a Friends Select and truth be told, I didn’t fully grasp what everything meant at the time. I had but just a vague understanding that I learned “differently” but boy was I excited for a new school.

Fast forward to the following fall, Irene drove her red Nova throughout the streets of Germantown, Mt. Airy and Roxborough to pick up five teenagers join 16 others across the Delaware Valley who would embark on a new journey pounding the crooked hallways of Harcum Jr. College where DV came to life.

I owe everything about my being to Irene. Through her vision, wisdom, leadership, I came to be. I found my tools, my people, my path. Up until his dying breath, my dad would weep at the thought of Irene for she saved his daughter from daily stomach aches, anxiety, and tears. She brought acceptance and clarity into how I learn that threaded a needle to launch me on a career path in education. She saw my Light.

I will carry Irene’s twinkle in her eyes, her sense of wonder, and warmth with me always. What I would give to have just one last conversation with her. To soak up her wisdom and share life updates.

Thank you, Irene, for what you did for me and hundreds of others who now shine brighter because of you. Be it your students or colleagues, we are the lucky ones blessed to walk this earth at the same time, together, with you.

Where there is deep grief, there is deep love.

I love you, dearly, Irene.

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Dear Irene,

I woke up this morning with you on my heart and in my mind. As I realized that, it came into focus for me how profound your influence on my development was, so that it was hard for me to disaggregate where “you” stopped and “I” began. Isn’t that one of the sacred dimensions of teaching? We are all deeply influencing each other, and being influenced by one another, spreading the light as we go.

“Appreciative inquiry.” “Reflective practice.” “What the soul wants to do.” These are all phrases that are so deeply ingrained in my self-understanding and professional practice that I need to pause and remember that I got them from you.

My gratitude for your role in my life, and in the life of countless others, knows no bounds. What you would have me do, of course, is simply to pay it forward. Which is what I have been trying to do all these years. I will try to do it again today.

Thank you for being my mentor, my co-conspirator, my friend, and my fellow journeyer across space and time. I look forward to seeing you on the other side.

In the Light,

Tom Hoopes

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March 13, 2026

Dear DVFriends Community,

Quakers sometimes refer to people whose wisdom, insight, and moral clarity are especially impactful as weighty Friends. I am writing with the sad news that our community—and the broader world of Quaker education—has lost one of those people. Irene McHenry, the founding Head of Delaware Valley Friends School, passed away peacefully on Wednesday evening.

It is difficult to imagine DVFriends without Irene because so much of what our school is today began with her vision. In 1986, when DV’s original Board of Directors set out to create the first Quaker secondary school for students who learn differently, they found Irene to lead the effort.

In the school’s earliest days, there was no campus, no faculty, and no students—only an important idea. Working from a borrowed office at Friends Select, Irene began to bring that idea to life. She hired the faculty, shaped the curriculum, secured Commonwealth approval for the school to operate, and admitted the first students. She also found a home for the school in Bryn Mawr and helped establish the Quaker ethos that still guides our community.

In the fall of 1987, Irene and the founding faculty welcomed DV’s first class—nineteen students and their families—into a school that had existed only in concept just a year before. She served as Head of School until 1994, laying the foundation for the generations of students and educators who would follow. Even after stepping down, she remained closely connected to the school, attending occasional events and offering encouragement and guidance to those who carried the work forward.

Irene’s influence extended far beyond DVFriends. Earlier in her career, in 1978, she helped found Greenwood Friends School in central Pennsylvania. From 2001 to 2014, she served as Executive Director of the Friends Council on Education, where she mentored school leaders nationwide. Through her writing, teaching, and leadership, she served as a north star for Friends education. Many members of our own community experienced Irene’s mentorship through the Institute for Engaging Leadership in Friends Schools, which she founded and helped lead long after stepping down from her full-time role at Friends Council. Seven current or former DV educators have participated in that deeply meaningful program over the years.

Quakers often speak of the hope that one might “let your life speak.” Irene’s life spoke with clarity, purpose, and generosity. Her vision laid the foundations of our school, and her influence lives on in the work we do every day on behalf of our students.

Please join me in holding Irene’s family and loved ones in the Light, and in giving thanks for the remarkable life she lived and the community she helped create. A celebration of Irene’s life will be held at Arch Street Meeting House on May 1 at two o’clock in the afternoon. Friends Council on Education has established this Padlet to post remembrances of Irene.

In Peace,

Kirk Smothers

Head of School

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Irene lived a life dedicated to waking up young people through their awakened teachers. I was on that same path when she and I met in 2000 at a Friends Council workshop. Irene had recently seen a notice about an upcoming mindfulness retreat for educators I was co-leading at Pendle Hill. She offered her assistance. That was the first of the many gifts she gave me. She and I subsequently offered these retreats every year and eventually were invited to offer mindfulness workshops at National Association of Independent School annual meetings. We were a wonderful match, Irene, the psychologist, with a Buddhist teacher in Shinzen Young who used flowcharts, and Richard, the math teacher, with a Buddhist teacher in Thich Nhat Hanh who wrote poetry.

While all this was going on, 78 educators, who had attended Thich Nhat Hanh's US retreats in 2001, initiated a listserv. Early participants included many of the first proponents of mindfulness in education, among them Irene, Rob Wall, and Amy Saltzman. The four of us became the Steering Committee and then founding Board members of what became the Mindfulness in Education Network. After Amy's 2006 Association for Mindfulness in Education conference in San Francisco, she encouraged Irene, Rob, and me to organize an MiEN conference on the east coast. This took place at Sidwell Friends School in 2007.

By 2008, through our retreats, Irene and I had come to know many educators who were using mindfulness in their teaching. Irene suggested it was time to collect their exoeriences in an edited book. Working together with Irene on Tuning In: Mindfulness in Teaching and Learning (published by Friends Council on Education) was a new high for me in our already blessed relationship. I learned so much from her about organizing a book, choosing stories that would inform and inspire readers, and working with a schedule, all of which I have continued to draw on.

My favorite mindfulness lesson of Irene’s was "the mind as a muscle” where she challenged middle schoolers (especially the boys) to try to use their “mind muscle” to focus on their breath for 30 seconds. They did this and felt they could do it for a minute. And so, the days passed with students "working out," starting each class building their mind muscles.

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Irene had an incredible ability to not only shine her Light on others, but to help you discover the power of your own Light. I had the privilege of having Irene as my leadership coach during my first year as Head of School. She was an engaged listener, affirming in every way, but also able to lift up questions that deepened my own sense of self and my leadership. She was kind, warm, funny, and just loved everything about Quaker education and the powerful impact of our schools on young people. I am grateful to have crossed paths with Irene and will continue to take lessons learned from her into my future. May her memory continue to be a gift to us all.

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Dear and beloved Irene McHenry was one of the most warm, brilliant and inspired Friends educators many of us have ever encountered. Her life was such a light to so many of us at so many stages of our careers, always encouraging, generative and full of joy, even when taking on significant challenges. At Friends heads gatherings through the years and on the board at FCE, I always inspired by her leadership and refreshed by her wisdom. I counted her also as a dear friend (as did so, so many!) and neighbor in the lovely village of Mount Airy in northwest Philadelphia. We last saw each other walking in the woods near her house on a beautiful spring day last year. I know I join SO many in holding Irene in the Light of love, appreciation and deep gratitude. Her spirit lives on, imprinted in the hearts of all she encountered.

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Irene was a model of gracious, spiritual, large-hearted leadership. In my own educational and life journey, I found strength in her smile, nuggets of wisdom, laugh, strong sense of what is right, advice, and support. In our work together at Pendle Hill and through FCE, she helped me, in her thoughtful and aware presence, to arrive at a feeling of wholeness. I saw in her someone who aligned their inner life, their outer life, and their life’s work and calling. It inspired me when I first met her, and it inspires me today. It is something I will strive for always, as it feels like the most powerful way to get the good work done in schools and in life. She will be missed, even as she will continue to influence Friends schools for years to come.

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Something about the way Irene interacted with all of us demonstrated an effortless grace. Woven throughout that deeply relational kindness was unending wisdom -- about Quakerism, about education, about persevering generously, and about relishing life. I never left a conversation with her that I didn't feel uplifted, strengthened, seen and held. Hers is a remarkable legacy of sincerity and depth, and I feel somehow smaller to inhabit a world without her. All of us in circles of Quaker education are grieving this loss. Eric Mayer, Head of Lansdowne Friends School.

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There are people who enter your life and quietly make you better:  better at your work, better in your relationships, better in your understanding of yourself.  Irene McHenry was one of those people for so many of us.

She brought lightness and significance to everything she touched.  She made you want to pull up a chair and stay a little longer.  She was always up for an adventure with colleagues whether that be wandering the routes of Quaker history in the Lake District or finding her way to Iron Hill Brewery for a pint and good conversation at the end of a day of training. Irene knew that relationships and community are built through the joint experience of small moments, and she showed up fully for every one of them.

She held high expectations without ever making you feel small for falling short of them, and she had a remarkable gift for helping you see your own Light from within. She seemed to know, before you did, what you were capable of, and she had a way of reflecting that back to you until you could finally see it for yourself.

I am so fortunate to have been guided and inspired by Irene. We are all a little more ourselves because she was so fully and generously herself.

I am holding Irene and her family in the Light with love and deep gratitude.

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I met Irene before I was truly ready, at a time when I was still finding my footing as a new administrator. She came into my life brimming with wisdom, the kind that felt both steadying and quietly transformative. As a young Quaker school administrator, I was fortunate to be part of the first cohort of the Engaging Leadership Institute, surrounded by remarkable educators who would go on to lead schools, guide divisions, and live out the testimonies of Quakerism.

She was always there — generous with her time, grounded in her perspective, and ready to offer simple, sage advice that somehow met the moment exactly. She didn’t overwhelm; she clarified. She didn’t preach; she modeled.

Irene also gave a lasting gift to our community. She trained my entire division of faculty in mindfulness, planting seeds that continue to grow. Those practices live on in our classrooms and advisories, quietly shaping the way students learn, reflect, and care for themselves and one another.

And yet, what I hold most dearly is her humanity. My favorite memory is the moment she admitted, with a smile and complete honesty, that yes — she gets mad, and yes — she occasionally throws dishes. In that moment, she reminded me that wisdom doesn’t mean perfection. It means being real, being reflective, and continuing the work.

Irene was a guide, a teacher, and a deeply human presence in my life. I will always be grateful that I met her when I did — even if I wasn’t quite ready — because she helped me become more ready than I ever could have on my own.

Terry Kessel

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I will always be grateful to Irene for the opportunity to be her sidekick in the Leadership Institute for nine years. It was, by far, the most memorable professional development experience of my career, thanks to her mentorship and expertise. There simply could not be a better role model to guide aspiring groups of Quaker school educators in grappling with the theory and practice of school leadership. Irene led with vision, gentleness, humor and grace, strengthening Quaker education for children and adults as her enduring legacy. I hold her in the Light of love and gratitude for all our time together at Pendle Hill.

Joe Marchese

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Early in my PC tenure, Irene taught Quakerism to MS students in my classroom. She was kind enough to allow me to remain in the room and would often include me in class discussions. I appreciated her loving ,soft-spoken, and gentle nature. The warmth she shared with all whom she encountered was palpable. Even after she left PC, I always loved seeing Irene and speaking with her whenever our paths crossed, in those moments it felt as though no time had passed. I’m grateful to have known her and will miss her kind heart and loving spirit. ~Cassandra Aldridge

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Metta, Mind, Muscle and Pebbles

Irene’s light and path has touched so many, and impacted a legacy of learning and leadership, while being particularly personal. I first met her at the International Quaker Education Gathering at Westtown where she was giving a workshop. Discovering that she was also a Mt Airy neighbor, connected to several clinicians who were also meditators, knowing her intertwined through Pendle Hill, the zendo, Friends School teaching and events, and spontaneous walks or meetings along Carpenter Lane or at the High Point cafe, and her connection to Real Dialogue trainings in Vermont.

Much gratitude for the opportunities and gifts, intersecting through the mandala of your life.

Pamela Williams

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Irene’s memory is a blessing. She and her philosophy for Delaware Valley Friends school were just something you entrusted your child to when you met her. I will always be thankful for and remember Irene’s vision for children. May the angels guard your soul and may you Rest In Peace, dear Irene.

Candace Margolin

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All the beautiful, loving things said about Irene here and everywhere are profoundly true. In my experience as a parent of an early DVFS student, as a DVFS Board Member, and its initial business officer for two dozen years, something else about her became deeply evident. Irene McHenry was not only a gifted educator but also an incredible entrepreneur and business leader. She might not like this as a title or sobriquet, but Irene was a great BOSS. Irene founded two Friends Schools out of little more than her own grit and imagination. Yes, she had wonderful partners in Anne and Peter Javsicas, Holly Locke, Dorothy Flanagan, and many others, but in some ways, she created beautiful things from almost nothing. Famously, she was hired by DVFS on the condition that she fundraise her own salary! She built DVFS with great care, and every early hire came from a fertile imagination on how to bring people together in common enterprise. Irene picked some strangely shaped parts to build her new model school, and as a result, its walls bulged with the vibrant energy of both seasoned and rookie educators. Everyone at DVFS had a voice in the matters that concerned them but only according to their role. Part of Irene's genius for organization was to be absolutely clear, in a calm and confident manner, to all constituencies about their roles in achieving the school's mission. And, when necessary, she made certain to define the limits of each constituency's purview. She did this with grace and quiet authority, and there were few if any power conflicts: The Board had no curriculum committee because that was work trusted to Irene and her faculty. The Faculty trusted administration and Board to secure their well-being and protect their future. When the students wanted something new and unusual, they knew how to petition successfully. They did not need to picket or protest because DVFS had a particularly open and welcoming weekly Quaker Meeting and a daily Morning Gathering of the entire school that eagerly listened to all its members. Irene's spirit -- quiet, powerful, loving -- was the inspirational soul of DVFS and she demonstrated, in every respectful act, her belief that there is indeed "that of God in everyone." Irene, we were blessed by your leadership.

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Lifetime Fields of the Lives Touched by Irene McHenry

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Irene McHenry touched so many lives throughout her many years of service in the field of education, educational leadership, and mentorship. I know there are so many additional areas of service along Irene's journey. I feel extremely blessed to have met Irene during my time at Friends School of Baltimore and the two-year leadership cohort at Pendle Hill. Irene was always full of joy! Her smile radiated to everyone she met. I will forever carry the memories of walking and talking the trails at Pendle Hill with Irene by my side. Irene, may you continue to walk in the Light with a smile on your face.

Cynthia Fox Barney, PhD

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Irene McHenry was a guardian angel. To be by her side was to benefit from her enlightened, grounded, spirit as she guided us forward, not solely in words but always in her powerful presence. Irene and I crossed paths several times. The two most memorable were our co-leadership of the Quaker Pilgrimage in 2016 & 2018 and my volunteer position at FCE when she was director. On the pilgrimage in addition to the scheduled program activities, Irene led morning walks around the Conference Center, opportunities for us early birds to experience walking meditations in a breathtaking landscape. And who wouldn’t want to climb and be on top of Pendle Hill in her company, experiencing directly Fox’s Ocean of Darkness and the Ocean of Light? Thank you, Irene, for your authenticity, your amazing grace, your grounded presence, and your profound wisdom and leadership. And thank you for walking with and guiding me forward, one step at a time.

- Denis Nicholson Asselin

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sharing the joy of Irene's Fielding graduation

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A gentle spirit with a fine mind and big heart; I learned much from Irene in my time with her at DVFS. ❤️

-Will Small

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My strong, sweet second cousin Reenie, your light will shine on always.

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Irene embodied a kind of leadership that is both deeply grounded and quietly transformative. In her words, Friends education offers “a safe container for exploration,” held together by an ethos of “fierce love.” That phrase feels inseparable from the way Irene has moved through the world and mentored so many of us.

What I have learned from Irene is that leadership is not simply about direction or decision-making. It is about creating conditions where others can grow, question, and become more fully themselves. She has shown that safety and challenge are not opposites. In the best sense, they belong together. A true learning community is one where people feel known and valued, while also being called to deeper courage, greater clarity, and faithful action.

The “fierceness” Irene describes has always stood out to me. It is not harshness or volume. It is the steady power of intention. It is the willingness to embrace tension rather than avoid it. It is the moral clarity to take a stand when it matters. It is the discipline of hope and the refusal to give up on people, institutions, or the possibility of renewal. Irene has modeled all of this with grace.

As a mentor to me and so many others, Irene offered wisdom without ego, guidance without control, and encouragement without condition. She reminded me that leadership can be both tender and strong, reflective and courageous. She helped all of us see that the deepest work of a leader is not to center oneself, but to help others find their own light.

I am grateful not only for what Irene has taught me, but also for who she has been in my life and in the lives of so many others. Her example continues to challenge and sustain me. In moments when leadership feels complicated or heavy, I return to the vision she names so clearly: a community rooted in Infinite Love, renewed by purpose, and strengthened by the fierce love that refuses to let go.

Irene, you will be missed.

-Ken Aldridge

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Irene’s encouragement, strength, and willingness to challenge, always accompanied by her care and support, deeply impacted all who knew her. She had a special way of seeing both who we were and who we might become. She once said, “We are all in the process of becoming.” She reminded us that we are always growing and changing, and that we all have the capacity to contribute to the light and goodness of the world. I will miss her smile, her laugh, and I can so clearly hear her voice asking us to ponder possibilities.

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Just remembering the hard work and devotion Irene put in to helping establish a Friends School near Millville Monthly Meeting in the mid '80s. This later became Greenwood Friends School. I remember her conversations with members of Millville Meeting, trying to explain the many benefits of having a Friends School in the area. Hard work which paid off, of course. Greenwood is still in existence today. Our condolences to her family and loved ones. Tom and Maddie Solenberger

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In life, if we are blessed, we get a few key people who enter our story and influence us for good. Irene was one of those people for me. I met Irene when I was invited to interview for the position of Director of Development at Friends Council on Education. The timing was perfect, as I had just completed a temporary fundraising job at Friends Center and needed a new part-time gig. My interview with Irene was the easiest one I’d ever had, and she offered me the job on the spot.

Typical Irene: warm, curious, positive, and clear. From that point on, through 5 years of working together, she never stopped believing in me and continuously looked for ways to help me grow professionally and personally. It is no exaggeration to say that I would not be who I am today or be doing the work I am doing if it wasn’t for Irene. Perhaps the most generous thing she did was to send me to the 8-week foundations course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at Jefferson, which started me on the path of training in mindfulness, insight meditation, and dharma practice. Our mutual interest in bringing mindful practices to so many realms kept our friendship strong even after I left FCE, and as my skills grew and my work flourished, her genuine enthusiasm was a tonic.

Irene seemed to do this with everyone she knew, and she offered her guidance with a firm, clear hand. Even when we disagreed or bumped up against each other’s priorities and styles, I always felt respected and seen.

There is no limit to my gratitude for Irene. She is without question one of the finest human beings it has been my privilege to know. The wonderful person we knew as Irene will be sorely missed, but the influence and power she brought to so many will live on and ripple out eternally.

“Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”  https://open.spotify.com/track/3WkgLAd7jGX3sZikfkF0lU?si=c926546e720347d3

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I will always remember my interview with Irene when DV was only a wonderful dream. No home, no teachers hired, and a handful of teens in need. We took a walk through the Haverford College Campus and talked about education, learning differences, the beauty of a warm Spring day, her dreams for DV, my vision for science education…

Irene’s gentle, peaceful nature made it easy to accept her offer to work with her toward her dream. Her soft, shining soul made it a joy to dedicate my teaching career to the loving community that DV has become.

This is a photo of the entire staff and students of that first exciting year.

-Glenn Heck, DVFS teacher for the first 32 years

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I have so many lovely memories of Irene’s approach to leadership, all of which seem to share some aspect of Light and always cheerful smiles that helped bring ideas to fruition and inspired paths that led to wonderful growth and development! For students, teachers, trustees, parents, Friends. Thank you for your gentle and honest guidance and support, Irene.

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Irene touched so many with her love, guidance, calm, and insight. I am ever grateful to count myself among them. She hired me following one of the most difficult chapters in my life,  opening the new door I had been hoping for. During the interview she wondered aloud if the part time position would be enough for me, if I would get bored. I ended up staying at Friends Council on Education for ten years. I only worked with Irene for one of those ten and the depth of her counsel was such that she quickly became a mentor. While we didn’t see each other nearly enough after she retired, we stayed in touch through the annual holiday cookie exchange, and through varying forms of correspondence. During COVID Irene kindly liked and commented on many nature photo albums I posted to Facebook.  Following the passing of my father she sent me one of the most powerful and meaningful cards of the many I had received. She was so very adept at crafting personal, hand written notes. During her illness I’d text her nature photos and she always responded so graciously. I last crossed paths with Irene in January 2026 when she was sharing a rare lunch out with her dearest friend Beulah. It is a day I will remember forever; I am grateful to have sat with her one last time, heard her voice, shared the recent developments in my life, and told her I love her.   We love you, Irene. You live on in so many of us and we carry your light forward.

Betsy

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It was a privilege to serve DVFriends as their second Director of Admissions, but we are ever grateful to be a DV alum family. Our daughter’s time there was life-changing in so many ways.

Thank you, Irene.

Some snapshots:

-      Beulah and Irene hadn’t been back to Paoli for years. I loved touring them through the school and hearing their origin stories. Our students from Irene’s neighborhood recognized her and called out, “Hi, Reenie!”

-      I loved when Irene visited DV to see the new Lower School. She was almost giddy posing for this photo with the students.

-      I loved watching Irene receive the Pennsylvania Branch of the International Dyslexia Association’s annual Janet L. Hoopes Award in October 2012. She’s pictured with Awards Chair Charna O. Axelrod, Ed.D., and with DV faculty members during the ceremony and conference.

Thank you, Irene.

Mary Ellen Trent

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Delaware Valley Friends School is pleased to announce the recipient of the

Pennsylvania Branch of the International Dyslexia Association’s

annual Janet L. Hoopes Award is

Irene McHenry, Ph.D.

The Janet L. Hoopes Award

This prestigious award was established in 1993 in honor of the late Dr. Janet L. Hoopes, professor emeritus of Education and Child Development at Bryn Mawr College and former Director of the Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College. She was a former Board Member of the PBIDA, a former board president of the Children’s Aid Society of Pennsylvania, and former Chair of the Board of the Hill Top Preparatory School in Rosemont.

The Hoopes Award is given to an individual or individuals from Pennsylvania or Delaware who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of the education of those with learning differences.

This year the award will be presented to Dr. McHenry during the PBIDA’s 34th Annual Fall Conference at Woodlynde School on October 5, 2012.

Irene McHenry

Irene McHenry, PhD is the founder and founding Head of Delaware Valley Friends School. She currently serves as Executive Director of the Friends Council on Education, an international network of Friends schools.  She is a licensed psychologist and school consultant. Dr. McHenry is a co-founder of Greenwood Friends School, and a founding faculty member of Fielding Graduate University’s doctoral program in Educational Leadership and Change.

In 1986 Dr. McHenry pioneered a new approach to working with a Delaware Valley population whose educational needs were not being met: adolescents with language-based learning disabilities.  At that time there were several lower and middle school options for students with LD, yet there was not an upper school available for them.

Dr. McHenry integrated cutting-edge thinking about dyslexia and related learning differences with traditional Quaker values and research-based academic interventions.  She initiated an outdoors education program that emphasized leadership and team building skills.  She developed an extensive arts curriculum, a “no cut” athletic team policy, and state of the art assistive technology.  Most important, she forged a community of caring, respect, safety, and positive accomplishment for students who may have been deprived of experiencing success.

DVFS (or “DV” to our students) opened 25 years ago in 1987 at Harcum Junior College.  There were 21 students, 4 full-time and several part-time faculty.  The first van driver was – Irene!  In 1997 DVFS moved to its current location, the former Paoli Elementary School.  DVFS currently has 182 students and 63 faculty, administrators and staff.  It has an average of 98% student enrollment in universities.  The Class of 2012 achieved a 100% enrollment and includes recipients of a Presidential Scholar Award and a National Achievement Scholarship – all due to Irene’s vision.

Dr. McHenry has been teaching mindfulness skills as a clinician and workshop leader for years.  She designs and leads professional development programs for administrators, faculty, and trustees in schools across the country.  In addition, she consults with organizations nationwide providing professional development and teaching mindfulness to their aspiring leaders.

Dr. McHenry is the author/editor of numerous publications. They include:

Learning Strategies Handbook: Using Strengths to Manage Learning Difficulties

Tuning In: Mindfulness in Teaching and Learning

Readings on Quaker Pedagogy

Governance Handbook for Friends Schools

Conflict in Schools – Fertile Ground for Moral Growth (Quaker schools as model for conflict management).

She is a regular contributor to publications on education.

Dr. McHenry has taught at Lincoln University, Friends School Haverford, William Penn Charter School, and Fielding Graduate Institute.  She is the board president for the Council for American Private Education and a trustee for Haverford College.  She has served on the boards of Gladwyne Montessori School, The Shipley School, Friends Center Corporation, and Friends Education Fund of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting.

Dr. McHenry received her B.A. from Susquehanna University, her M.S. from Bucknell University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Fielding Graduate University.

Dr. McHenry’s vision 26 years ago has resulted in over 500 graduates from DVFS. These students with language-based learning disabilities have experienced success in ways they - and their families - could never have imagined without the support and community they experienced from Irene McHenry and the program she developed at Delaware Valley Friends School.

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Irene McHenry and DV lower school 10-11-19.JPG