Obituaries : Irene B. Willingham; Teacher, Musician

Irene B. Willingham, a longtime teacher at Pacoima Junior High School who played viola for two community college orchestras, has died in a Panorama City hospital. She was 50.

A longtime Sun Valley resident, Mrs. Willingham died Monday of complications of asthma, said her husband, Philip Willingham.

Born Irene Bleifeld in Los Angeles, she graduated from Los Angeles High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA. In 1965, she began teaching at Pacoima Junior High School, where she taught beginning strings, string orchestra and seventh-grade world history until last month.

Mrs. Willingham, who played viola and violin, was a member of the Glendale Community College and the Los Angeles City Community College orchestras and was a coach for the Cal State Northridge Youth Orchestra and the California Junior Symphony. She was a past president and board member of the California Junior Symphony Assn. and treasurer of the Los Angeles Secondary Music Teachers Assn.

She is survived by her husband of 30 years; sons Brian Willingham of Los Feliz and David Willingham of Los Angeles; father Sidney Bleifeld of Studio City and brother Paul Bleifeld of New York City.

Services will be private. Pierce Brothers Valhalla Mortuary in North Hollywood is handling the arrangements. Donations can be made in Mrs. Willingham’s name to the City of Hope.