Claire Irwin Obituary

Claire Irwin CHARLESTON - Dr. Claire Peggy Irwin 87, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2013 She was born on December 27, 1925, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand as a MD in 1950 and then spent four years specializing as a Psychiatrist. She practiced as a child, adolescent and family psychiatrist for 29 years in Johannesburg, both at Children's Hospital of the University of the Witwatersrand and in private practice. She set up the first Child Abuse Clinic in South Africa and was named 'Woman of the Year' in 1975 by the prestigious Johannesburg Star Newspaper for her contributions to the field of child abuse. In 1979, she immigrated to Australia. She spent 12 years in Adelaide, South Australia working at Flinders University Hospital and the Adelaide Children's Hospital. She also set up Psychiatric services in rural South Australia as well as working in private practice. In 1991, she moved to Charleston SC and worked at MUSC for 10 years, initially in the Dept. of Psychiatry and then the Dept. of Family Medicine. She retired in 2000 at the age of 75 after a career of 50 years. She is survived by her four children Anne (Hugh) Solomon of Ann Arbor MI, Barbara (Derek) Solomon of Weston CT, Patti (Mickey) Bagg of Charleston, SC and Peter (Arlaine) Kramer of Johannesburg, South Africa, ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be private. The family would like to thank the staff of Arcadia Close and Read Cloister of Bishop Gadsden and the staff of Odyssey Hospice for their compassionate care. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston