Eileen C. Ward

. On November 6, 2015, Eileen died peacefully at Mt Vernon Hospital. She is survived by daughter Christine and her husband Frank Page; son Lawrence and his wife Natalie; and daughter-in-law Marie Ward. She is survived by 11 grandchildren: Laura, Christopher, Zachary, Adam, Ryan, William, Caitlin, Connor (wife Rebecca), Patrick, Megan and Shannon. Preceding her in death were husband Col. (ret.) William D. Ward, son Maj. (ret.) Richard W. Ward and brother Robert Welch of Garden City, New York.

Eileen was born in New York City on March 12, 1918, to Charles and Isabelle Welch. After attending St. Catherine’s Academy for Young Ladies, she enrolled in the College of New Rochelle, graduating in 1939 with a degree in English. During World War 2 she worked in New York City for Time magazine as Head of the Index Dept. Shortly after the war’s end, she met William, just home from serving in Europe during the war. They wed on April 9, 1947, and enjoyed 57 years of marriage until William’s death in 2004.

William’s Army career took them to Great Britain, Pakistan, Thailand, and numerous stateside postings. During William’s last assignment at West Virginia University, Eileen earned er Master’s degree in Art in 1971.

Following William’s retirement from the Army, the family settled in Alexandria, Va., and Eileen embarked on her career in teaching interior design. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, she taught at the International Institute of Interior Design in Washington DC, Howard University, and, for 25 years, the Loudoun campus of Northern Virginia Community College. During her career, Eileen was a member of ASID, IES, IFDA, AIA, and served on committees of numerous art and design organizations.

Outside of her family and career, Eileen had many passions. She adored her numerous Irish Terriers. Her love for Broadway and the theater was boundless. She rarely met a Shakespeare production she didn’t like. She was wild about sports, especially baseball, men’s tennis, and football, particularly Notre Dame football. On any given fall Saturday, the Notre Dame flag would be seen flying outside her front door. Her favorite place, other than New York City, was the beach. From the Jersey shore resorts of her childhood through the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Siam to her 40-plus years as one of the matriarchs of the annual Dewey Beach gathering, Eileen loved walking the sands and swimming in the waves. Even into her eighties, a day at the beach was incomplete without a swim.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 at 2:45 p.m. at the Old Post Chapel, Ft. Myer, Va. followed by burial at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Metropolitan Washington Ear

12061 Tech Road, Silver Spring, Md. 20904.

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