Irene was born on January 20, 1965 in Bucharest. She graduated in 1988 with a degree in Automation and Computers. She left Romania in September 1989 and spent the next 9 months in a refugee camp in Austria. From there her next stop was Toronto, Canada, where she arrived on June 26, 1990 and called Canada her home for the next 10 years.

In 1992 she met her husband while visiting her mother in Israel.On February 15, 2000 Irene and Valentin moved again, this time settling in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (just 4 hours away from Toronto).

Although an Engineer by training, she has lately distanced herself from the technical field.

She now works as an Antiques Appraiser.

Irene and Valentin have two daughters: Sarah and Hannah