Irene Nicolaevna Agnew

Thousand Oaks - Irene Agnew passed away peacefully on January 22, 2025, due to complications of old age. She was 98 years old.



Irene was born Irene Nicolaevna Lepko to Russian parents in Harbin, China, on May 11, 1926. At the time, Harbin was a predominantly Russian city. Irene later remembered her early years centered around Harbin's Russian community, and going to the movies in a horse-drawn sleigh with her babushka.



Irene's family relocated to Shanghai in 1931, where Irene's mother, Tamara, worked as a showgirl and choreographer and her stepfather, Nick, worked in the motion picture industry. In 1936, Irene's stepfather moved the family to Kyoto, Japan, where Irene joined the family after overcoming diphtheria. Irene entered and quickly advanced through the Japanese school system. She remembered attending parades where the emperor would pass by, and was fascinated by glimpses of geishas around town.



In February 1941, Irene's family relocated to Los Angeles. Irene recalled that their ship was one of the last to leave Japan before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Irene's family integrated itself into broader American life. Irene recalled enjoying her first hot dog and chocolate milkshake, a meal she enjoyed for the rest of her days. Although Irene was nearly 15 years old and spoke only Russian and Japanese, she enrolled in the Los Angeles public schools, ultimately graduating from Hollywood High School. Irene continued her education at UCLA and Los Angeles City College, after which she briefly pursued a career in acting. She kissed the actor Robert Stack during an acting class and babysat a young Natalie Wood.



One stormy night, Irene's parents drove her to visit a friend who was housesitting in Malibu. Concerned about the weather, Irene's parents went next door to ask the neighbors, the Agnews, to watch over their daughter. The next morning, Irene met the Agnews' son, Jim, who later asked if Irene could teach him Russian. While Jim never did learn Russian, Irene and Jim married in Santa Barabara in 1950 and later welcomed Marina, Sheila, Leslie, and Brian into the world. The memory of the day she met Jim remained the happiest memory of Irene's life.



Irene dedicated herself to her family in the 1950s and 1960s. As her children grew older, however, Irene's multilingual upbringing led to professional opportunities. She translated Russian radio broadcasts for the State Department and ventured into technical translation for the aerospace and defense industries. In 1975, Irene founded Agnew Tech Tran, which provided technical translation services to a variety of industries. The company prospered and Irene enjoyed her role as owner and CEO. She sold the business in 1984, but founded a new translation company in 1986, now known as Agnew Multilingual.



Jim passed away in 2007. Irene's business thereafter remained a source of enjoyment for the remainder of her life. Indeed, Irene actively owned and operated Agnew Multilingual until her passing. In her 50 years as a business owner, Irene oversaw the translation of countless ideas from one language to another, and found endless stimulation from the many opportunities for understanding (and misunderstanding) the translation industry presented. She employed hundreds of translators, production staff, audio/visual engineers, bookkeepers, and sales staff who hailed from all over the world and featured their own unique backstories and quirks. Irene's companies translated everything from manuals for complex missile systems to television commercials for hair loss remedies. Irene was gratified that Jim, her children Marina, Sheila, Brian, and her grandson Nolan (as well as some of their friends) all found employment with her companies at one time or another.



Irene was known for her optimism, positivity, and forward-looking perspective. She practiced yoga and experimented with touch-screen computers in the mid-1980s, and was an early adopter of email and the Internet in the mid-1990s. Irene read widely on the topics of science, technology, and medicine. In her nineties, she continued to find opportunities for self-improvement, taking a course on mindfulness through UCLA, participating in the Dean Ornish cardiac rehabilitation program, and reading books on breathing and longevity.



While she was fiercely independent, Irene was the endlessly loving, generous, and forgiving leader of her family. She never sought out conflict and always played the role of unifier and peacemaker. She enjoyed hosting family gatherings, even welcoming nine people to her home for Thanksgiving not two months before her passing. She was a beautiful hostess, with her hair done, fingernails painted, a rosy shade of pink on her lips, and a champagne glass in hand. Irene lived independently at home with her kitty, Haiku, until she passed away.



Irene was survived by daughter Marina Reichl of Eugene, Oregon; daughter Sheila Epstein (wife of Gary) of Newbury Park, California; son Brian Agnew (husband of Jakyoung) of Eugene, Oregon; grandchildren Nolan Reichl, Quincy Thomas-Agnew, Elizabeth Epstein, and Angela Agnew; great grandchildren Theodore Reichl and Adrian Reichl; and her cat Haiku. She is predeceased by her beloved husband, James McBirney Agnew, and her beloved daughter, Leslie Alexandra Agnew.