Irene (Machado) McBride, 85 years old, of Peabody, passed away peacefully at Brightview Danvers following a long illness. She was the beloved wife of Robert McBride, with whom she shared 53 happy years of marriage. Irene was born in Espírito Santo, Brazil and was a teacher for many years in South Brazil. She came to the United States in 1965 to stay with a family at the Naval Communications Station in Washington, D.C., and it was there that she met Robert, who was stationed at the base. Following Robert’s discharge from the Navy, they married on April 27, 1968, and, after several moves, settled in Peabody. Once her daughters were in school, Irene completed the course of study to become a Licensed Practical Nurse and worked for many years at both the Pilgrim Rehabilitation and Rainbow Nursing Homes in Peabody. Irene took enormous pride in her work, and her patients benefitted greatly from her caring, competent attention. She made many friends during her career and retired from nursing in 2007. Irene was a faithful parishioner of St. John the Baptist Church nearly 50 years. She had many interests, including gardening, reading (an avid fan of the Harry Potter series), listening to music (she loved Roberto Carlos), traveling, vacationing in South Hero, Vermont, taking day trips with her husband and friends to Foxwoods Casino, and spending time with and caring for her grandchildren. She was also the pet parent to a number of well-loved cats. Irene was a loving wife, mother, and Nana who will be missed by so many. In addition to her husband Robert, she is survived by her daughters, Laura McBride and her husband Tom Rasmussen of Peabody, and Susan McBride and her husband Paul Brown of Peabody; her four grandchildren, Isabel, Tim, and Ben Rasmussen, and Alden Brown; two sisters, Clara DeBacker of Florida and Sr. Laura Machado of France; five brothers, Aroldo, Daniel, Luiz, and Vergílio Machado of Brazil, and José Maria Machado of Argentina; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends throughout the world. Visiting hours for Irene will be at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn Street, Peabody, on Sunday, May 2, from 3 to 6 pm. A service will be held at the funeral home on Monday, May 3, at 11 am; relatives and friends are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, donations in Irene’s memory may be made to Parkinson’s Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Ste 1509, New York, NY 10018-1359 or parkinson.org. Ste 1509, New York, NY 10018