Eileen Marie Goddard

The world lost one of its bright, shining stars on June 5th, 2024. Eileen Marie Goddard, retired Hearing Impaired teacher for over 30 years, touched so many lives, not just with her teaching, but also with her caring spirit. She was not one to shy away from connecting with her students in new and engaging ways. Her enriching approaches to instruction gave speech to the silent and understanding to the undereducated. She was able to change lives, one deaf student at a time.

In addition to teaching, she was a loving daughter, sister, sister-in-law, friend godmother and most of all, aunt. Her nieces called her "Auntie" and spoke that name with a smile on their faces. She was like their second mom, only cooler.

Eileen was born in Queens, NY and spent her childhood mostly in Islip Terrace, NY. She had developed a love for sign language while taking a summer class, as a teenager, and it became her passion ever since. After graduating from East Islip High School, she attended Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, NC. She received her Hearing Impaired Education Degree and went on to a diverse career in teaching the deaf. After settling in North Carolina, she taught in Kinston, Duplin, and finally, Wake County Schools, at Northwoods Elementary School.

She is preceded in death by her sister, Kathleen Goddard, her father, Roy Goddard, and her beloved aunt, Patricia Egan. She is survived by her mother, Maureen Strongin, her brother, James Goddard, her sister, Laureen Waldron (Lee Waldron), and the nieces that she loved like they were her own, Claire Waldron and Eve (Fizz) Waldron. She will also be missed by her adorable dog, Violet.

We will miss her sense of humor, bold laugh, love of all things purple, love of music (which she could always be caught singing) and her kind, generous heart.

A Memorial will be held on Sunday, June 30, 2024 at The VFW Independence Hall (The Cottage) in Cary from 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Wearing purple is encouraged.

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