Eileen Emily Mandarino

Eileen Emily Mandarino arrived in Heaven welcomed by her father Walter Kuczek, mother Emily, daughter Susan and many other relatives and good friends, on Sunday, 17 March, 2024. It was a long journey for Eileen.

Eileen and her husband Ralph, met in Chicago while in University. Eileen was going to Loyola and Ralph to the University of Illinois. They almost didn't. When invited to meet each other at Eileen's friends house as maid of honor and best man to Ralph's cousin, Eileen was told she was meeting the ring bearer and had a vision of a 10 year old little boy, and Ralph thought he was meeting an unattractive spinster. Both Eileen and Ralph thought they had better things to do.

Eileen was in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hands when Ralph entered the room. Both could not believe their eyes! It was love at first sight! Eileen's sparkling eyes and friendly smile and Ralphs 6'3" physique, complements of the Marine Corps, soon were replaced by the much more attractive and meaningful attributes of inner strength, tenderness and love they so admired in each other.

They went out that very night and talked endlessly about their views of the world, and dreams for the future. They reluctantly left each other convinced that this was the person they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with. And so they did. Sixty five blessed years of loving each other, working together to build a family of five, and integrate themselves into the communities in which they lived: Champaign, Illinois; Oak Park, Illinois; Lagrange Park, Illinois; Winnetka, Illinois; Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan and finally, St Clair Shores, Michigan.

While raising five of the finest children imaginable, Robert, Susan, Patty, Kristina, and Katie, Eileen helped each of the catholic churches in the communities in which she and Ralph lived. Inspiration to young children was her passion and she never failed to provide it. Be it a restaurant where a nearby table had small children, to the classrooms of St Paul on the Lake, Eileen was there. Making the kids laugh and smile while sharing a bit of wisdom. To Eileen's and her husband's delight, their children produced 12 wonderful grandchildren; Alex, Nick, Zack, Max, Kristian, Anne, Janie, Grace, Stella, Connor, Cordy and Averey.

Eileen had many passions. Supporting the arts with her time and financial resources, attending cultural events, where she and Ralph entertained clients, board membership in organizations that supported children's development, and many other community activities. Most recently saw her supporting St Paul on the Lake in Grosse Pointe Farms. She loved teaching Catechism and helping Deacon Rich prepare children for the sacraments, while serving on the church counsel.

One of her favorite self imposed responsibilities was to cause her homes to be decorated for every occasion, Christmas being one of her favorite, but she outdid herself for every one! Much like the most admired artisans, she would not consider it right until the most minute piece was placed just right.

Notwithstanding the responsibilities of caring for five children, a home, and multiple community involvements, Eileen assisted her husband in all their financial endeavors. Providing exceptional decision making skills, including rather unusual examples of her dexterity such as manning the switchboard of KPMG during a horrific snowstorm while the City was paralyzed, organizing a parade and picnic in Mesick Michigan for a company they had recently acquired and learning how to copilot a light sport aircraft manufactured by a company they founded in Zbraslavice, Czech Republic. The brewery in Prague was one of her favorites.

Although Eileen's mobility was severely curtailed in her later years, She and Ralph traveled the world taking their children whenever they could, as a learning experience. While touring East Berlin during the Communist occupation, and being told by a communist tour guide, (the only allowed), how wonderful communism was to a busload of tourists, one of their younger daughters asked the guide "then why is a wall built around the city keeping your people from leaving?" The subject was immediately changed. Another time their young children witnessed their father being led from their newly purchased Audi 2000 by gun point because the border guards in Czechoslovakia misread the visa as CIA instead of CPA. Inspecting Tiananmen Square in Beijing shortly after the massacre, under watchful eyes. Adventurous one might conclude, but good material to teach her children about the world in which they lived. Always instructive and positive with sparkling eyes and a friendly smile.

Eileen and her husband enjoyed a love for each other that could have been a screenplay for "Return to Casablanca". The loving bonds between Eileen and her husband were strong from the first meeting in Eileen's friends kitchen and continued to grow in their years ahead. Hard times as well as exceptionally good times , were equally greeted by determination to address them as a united, supportive couple. Eventually they blended together as one. This ability to face whatever may come as one allowed them to defeat some of the most dreadful medical challenges one might imagine. Their faith in God and each other carried them through one of the most beautiful marriages, God could ever hope to create.

Their love is eternal.

Eileen is survived by her husband, Ralph; their children, Rob (Karen), the late Susan, Patty (Patrick) McKee, Kristina (Tony) Junga, and Katie (Kia) Mandarino; their grandchildren, Alex and Kristian Mandarino, Nick, Zack, and Max Ratsek, Annie, Jane and Grace McKee, Stella and Cordelia Junga, Connor and Averey Mandarino; and her sister, Micki Novak.

A funeral mass for Eileen will be celebrated on Friday, April 12 at St. Paul on the Lake Catholic Church with the instate period beginning at 11:30am with the mass to follow at 12pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Paul Catholic Church on the Lake.