Eileen Mae Hirsch

When Eileen Mae Lehrer came into the world on February 4, 1920 in Pittsburgh, PA, the end of the First World War was only a little more than one year in the past, and the overwhelming majority of women in our nation were not allowed to vote. Just 9 days before she left the world, Eileen Mae Lehrer Hirsch watched the inauguration of our nation’s first female vice-president. She left us only 6 days shy of her 101st birthday.

In the 1930’s, in the depths of the Great Depression, she moved with her immigrant parents to Detroit, where she received her high school and college diplomas. It was there that she met Robert (Bob) Hirsch, also a recent transplant, from New York. They married in 1942, just before the U.S. Army ordered Bob overseas to Europe. Once he came home they brought one son, Mitchell, into the world and moved to Los Angeles 6 weeks later. Four and a half years later, Eileen gave birth to their second child, Glenn. After they shared so many wonderful years together, Bob died in 2002, one month shy of their 60th wedding anniversary.

From early childhood, Eileen dreamed of becoming a teacher, and indeed ended up teaching many generations of children with hearing impairments, pre-school and high school ages, mostly in Los Angeles. She also taught her own two children well, inspiring in them a deep empathy for others, a passion for traveling, a lifelong love of learning, and deep appreciation of nature and the arts.

Eileen was also preceded in death by her loving daughter-in-law Margy. In addition to her two sons and her daughters-in-law Sylvia and Susan, Eileen, an only child, is survived by three grandchildren and their spouses: Justin (Shana) in Seattle, Danielle (Girin) in Eugene, Oregon, and Joshua (Stacey), currently in Dover, Delaware.

A funeral service and burial will take place at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Mortuary in North Hollywood on March 14, 2021 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. Because of COVID restrictions, in-person attendance will be limited. Please contact the family directly if you wish to attend.

In memory of Eileen, donations may be made to the following:

John Tracy Center https://www.jtc.org/donate/

John Tracy Center provides parent-centered services locally and globally to young children with hearing loss, offering families hope, guidance, and encouragement.

FINCA https://finca.org/ (click on donate button)

FINCA’s mission is to alleviate poverty through lasting solutions (microfinance loans, social enterprise projects) that help people build assets, create jobs and raise their standard of living.

Sierra Club https://www.sierraclub.org/ (click on donate button)

The Sierra Club describes itself as “the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. We amplify the power of our 3.8 million members and supporters to defend everyone’s right to a healthy world.”

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