William H Irby, Jr.

William H. Irby Jr, (Irb) as we all knew him, went to be with the Lord on Friday, December 17, 2021 at 8:39 pm in Miami, Florida after fighting a long and hard battle with COVID. He was a wonderful son, husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, son in law, veteran, friend, and was the biggest Ohio State Fan. 

William was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 13, 1973 to his parents, Mary and the late Irwin Irby. He was one of 6 children. He graduated in May 1993 from North College Hill High School. After graduation, William joined the military where he honorably served 20 years and 10 months in the United States Air Force.

William was a lot of things to a lot of people, but most of all, he was one of the best human beings ever known. Never without a kind word, a warm smile, and a good-natured joke. William touched the lives of everyone he met. His unwavering support and positive attitude brought joy to family, friends and even strangers. William’s infectious smile and inviting personality drew you into him, but it was his loving heart and kind soul that kept you there. 

In 2015, William was united in holy matrimony to Angela Torres and gained a son, LaZhante Irby whom he raised as his own. Prior to their marriage, William had been diagnosed with heart failure and in 2016 he received the gift of a heart transplant where he once again showed his strength during the recovery process. William fought with all his might to survive and we were blessed to have him in our presence for 5 years after his transplant. After surviving the heart transplant and retiring from the military, William assisted his wife in running an at home daycare. He cared and loved all the children as if they were his own and left such a positive impact on all the children he cared for. 

In 2019, William and Angela welcomed their twin daughters, Kadence and Kaviyah. The joy that William had when he became a father was so heartwarming to witness. Being a father was his biggest accomplishment and he truly was the world’s greatest father. Not only did he shower his children with presents, but gave them the best gift ever, his presence. William was such a devoted father and loved all his children with all his heart. There was not a day that William was not with his children, watching them grow and driving over an hour to take the twins swimming for a 25-minute lesson.

William is survived by his wife, Angela; his wonderful children, LaZhante Irby (18 years old), and twin daughters Kadence and Kaviyah (2 years old); his mother, Mary Irby of Cincinnati, Ohio; his siblings, Rhonda Ferguson of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ardie J Evans (Paula) of Hawaii, Anita Blue of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Donte Harmon of Cincinnati, Ohio; his in-laws, Patsy and Arturo Arenas of Alamogordo, New Mexico and Jerry Branch of Alamogordo, New Mexico; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins, and dear friends. 

William was preceded in death by his older brother, Gregory Evans; his father, Irwin Irby; and his childhood friend, Mack Nathaniel Griffin III. 

William’s life celebration will be held at the Alamogordo Funeral Home, 2301 East First Street, Alamogordo, New Mexico on January 8, 2022. The viewing will take place at 1:00 pm with the service to follow at 2:00 pm. The repast will follow at the Alamogordo Civic Center, 800 East First Street, Alamogordo, New Mexico. Please continue to pray for William’s surviving family as this is such a tragic loss. 

The Irby family has entrusted their loved one to the care of Alamogordo Funeral Home to direct the services.
 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William H Irby, Jr., please visit our floral store.