Eileen Marie Chahrouri

Eileen Marie Fagan Chahrouri, 88, died peacefully at home in Jonesboro, Ga., on July 29, 2022, in the arms of her daughter and caregiver, Terry. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lillian (Conlon) and Harold H. Fagan; her sisters Virginia Harrington (Eddie) and Mary Pickett (John); her brother Harold Fagan (Elaine); and her husband of 47 years, Sami Chahrouri. She is survived by brother Joseph Fagan (Lorraine) and sister Nancy Costello (Martin); children Katherine, David (Beth), John, and Therese Chahrouri Gailliot (Michael); grandchildren Jordan, Holly, and Andrew Gibbs; Joseph and David Chahrouri; and Leah Gailliot Hock (Cliff); great grandchildren Willow Hamelin, and Gunner and Miles Hock; many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; and her best friends Mary Hayes and Ruth Nieuwstadt.

Born in Framingham, Mass., Eileen graduated from Framingham High School in 1951, where she was voted “Most Fun to Be Around.” She earned her B.S. in Nursing from Boston College in 1958. She met her husband, Sami, on a trip to Lebanon in 1959, and they married in Beirut on June 2, 1960. Eileen and Sami came to the United States in 1961. Eileen began her nursing career in geriatric nursing, later transitioning to psychiatric nursing, and eventually to training and administration for Georgia Regional Hospital (Panthersville, Ga.) from which she retired after over 40 years of service.

Eileen’s favorite pastimes were praying the rosary, reading, watching old movies (Madame X and Imitation of Life were favorites) and watching game shows and her beloved programs on EWTN. She loved chocolate, coffee ice cream, and on occasion, she enjoyed a vodka martini. She was full of laughter and inherited her Irish family’s talent for spinning wonderful stories.

Best known for her steadfast Catholic faith, in the late 1950s, Eileen explored a potential calling to vocation, and spent about a year as an Aspirant with the Discalced Carmelites of Boston. Later in her life, she was the lay leader for the inaugural Stephens Ministry program at Holy Cross Catholic Church (Tucker). When she lived at Garden Plaza Independent Living in Lawrenceville, she helped to establish a chapel area where Catholic residents could attend mass and participate in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. She was devoted to the Blessed Mother, praying the rosary on a daily basis for all of her adult life.

She was a member of St. Joseph’s Maronite Catholic Church (Atlanta), and later, a member of St. Oliver Plunkett Catholic Church (Snellville) and a communicant of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church (Jonesboro). She devoted much of her time in prayer to the saving the lives of the unborn.

Eileen would want to acknowledge and thank her daughter and son-in-law, Therese “Terry” and Michael Gailliot, for providing 24/7/365 care for her and attending to her every need in their home, with the support of Bridgeway Hospice and family friend Paige Fabrizio. Eileen was most grateful for frequent visits from St. Philips’ Pastor John Koziol, and Eucharistic Minister Sue Nemchick who brought her Holy Communion, prayed with her, and was a great comfort in her final days.

All who knew Eileen held her dear. Her big smile and easy laugh, and her caring and generous spirit will be sorely missed. But her loved ones are comforted in the knowledge that she is free of worry, illness, and pain in the loving arms of God.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Eileen’s memory to Comunità Cenacolo America, www.hopereborn.org (9485 Regency Square Blvd., Ste. 110, Jacksonville, FL 32225).

For those who cannot attend in person, the funeral mass will be livestreamed by St. Oliver Plunkett Catholic Church on their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCnCNRuElQVlb3FI3raD97Q

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.eternalhillsfuneralhome.com for the Chahrouri family.