HUTCHINSON, Kan. — In 1969, Irene Martindell was busy as the mother of four children and spouse of Bob Martindell, a prominent Hutchinson attorney. She still felt a tug to volunteer whatever free time was available at the old St. Elizabeth Hospital.

To her delight, Irene was assigned responsibility for delivering mail and flowers to patients, a job she enjoyed immensely. “It was the best volunteer job at the hospital,” Martindell will tell anyone.

With the merger of Hutchinson’s two hospitals in the mid-1970s, She had a decision to make about whether or not to move her volunteerism across town to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Sept. 10, 1975, is a day she will always remember as it was her first day volunteering for what she still calls “the new hospital,” a weekly stint of three hours in duration, a commitment she would keep during the 43 years to follow.

In 2018, Matindell decided to step down as a volunteer, but accepted an invitation to continue on the Hutch Regional Auxiliary Board of Directors.

Volunteering is a lifelong passion for her. Martindell is quick to point out that she loves people. Along the way, the Hutchinson Symphony and Emergency Shelter caught wind of Martindell’s love for volunteerism and invited her to join the organizations’ board of directors.

During the warm weather months, she can be seen cruising the streets of Hutchinson in her Corvette convertible, but this time of year she prefers an enclosed sedan.

On May 24, Irene Martindell will be 98-years young and sums up her long life in a few words. “God blessed me with a great husband and four wonderful children,” Irene said. Add a love of life and volunteerism to her list of accolades.