Eileen Mary Kelly was born in Yonkers, NY on January 18th, 1949 and passed away peacefully at her home in Port Saint Lucie Florida on May 17th. As both an optimist, and a realist, Eileen spent her last year describing her terminal lung cancer as either “a blessing” or “It is what it is.” After a successful career with IBM in the 1980s and 90s, she retired to Florida where she became an avid researcher and archivist of family genealogy. She was exceedingly proud of her Irish heritage and learning about her family history brought her tremendous joy. Fourteen years ago, she started down the Ancestry rabbit hole, and in the process, discovered/uncovered vast stores of knowledge, lore and, importantly, people with whom she shared DNA. Some of them passed on before her, like her father, Francis J. Kelly, her mother, Harriet M. Kelly, her brothers Joseph and John Kelly, her sister, Patricia Kelly and her nephew, Tommy Williams. Many live on to remember and honor her: her husband, Garrett (Gary) Lynch, her daughters, Sheila Squillante (Paul Bilger), Catherine Squillante Gonet (Dee Gonet) and Suzanne Lyons; her stepdaughters Sarah Lynch Baldwin (Shawn Baldwin) and Kelly Lynch Wallis (Alex Wallis). Eileen had four “awesome” (her word) grandchildren, Lauren Tiscia, Rudy Bilger, Josephine Squillante and Siena Baldwin, and eight siblings: Sheila (Kelly) Williams, Thomas Kelly, Rory Kelly, Kevin Kelly, Ned Kelly, Peter Kelly, Paul Kelly and James Kelly. Eileen would have preferred that her nieces/nephews, grandnieces/grandnephews, her in-laws and out-laws and all of her many dear friends also be listed here by name because she loved them. She loved names and the act of naming people and places. Eileen was great at refinishing antique furniture and finding all the best deals at TJ Maxx. She knew how to grow orchids in her palm trees and once dressed up like a bunch of grapes for Halloween. She loved Maryland Blue crabs and black licorice. She preferred dogs over cats, loved the music of Simon and Garfunkel, Anne Murray and the Beatles, and adored any movie featuring James Cagney, especially Yankee Doodle Dandy. She will be remembered for her spectacular linguini with white clam sauce, her tiny-ness, her warmth and generosity and most especially for the way she brought her family together from hither and yon, across oceans and years. Eileen was open-minded, warm-hearted, and with outstretched arms, she welcomed and supported those in distress as if they were part of her own family. She was loved mightily and will be fiercely missed.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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