Eileen Patricia Zogby

Eileen Patricia McMahon Zogby was born on April 30, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Glen Head, Long Island. She graduated from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY, in 1967 with a degree in sociology and taught fifth grade for one year, before marrying her college sweetheart James Zogby and going on to live a life dedicated to raising her family.

After spending their early married life in Pennsylvania, they settled in Washington DC, in 1978. As a long-time parishioner at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Eileen was a committed volunteer, starting the advent wreath workshop, launching the school’s first silent auction fundraiser, and acting as a frequent classroom parent, as well as bringing Holy Communion to homebound and sick parishioners as an Eucharistic minister. For almost four decades, she was an active member of the Christian Family Movement and The Beguines, her beloved book group.

Eileen had an insatiable curiosity and a passion for justice – two qualities that propelled a young girl from a socially conservative Irish Catholic family to surprising and even radical acts and to encourage her family in their own pursuits for justice. After reading about the plight of Palestinian refugees in the late 1960s, she encouraged her husband Jim to dive into the struggle – one that came to define his professional life for the next 50 years. Her support for Jim’s work with the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, Save Lebanon, and the Arab American Institute is immeasurable and made these endeavors possible. In 1987, Eileen was arrested protesting outside of the Israeli embassy. With her political acumen, brilliance with the written word, deep knowledge and curiosity, and most importantly absolute confidence in her foundational values, Eileen was Jim’s partner in all things.

Her activism and passion for social justice extended to many other causes, including abolishing the death penalty, ending gun violence, support for refugees and the poor and homeless, particularly children, LGBTQ rights, and advocacy for individuals with Down syndrome.

Eileen traveled extensively, including almost annual visits to Ireland, where she delighted in discovering her familial roots. Irish history became a particular passion. In August 2018, she and Jim celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their children and families touring Ireland.

Beginning with her first visit to Ireland, Eileen developed an attachment to and fascination for the country, its history, especially the suffering of the Irish people at the hands of the British that led to the Great Famine, and Irish emigration to America. She found it deeply troubling that so little of this history was taught and therefore known in the US.

Eileen’s first priority was always her five children and then her 13 grandchildren, for whom Nanna was larger than life. She was the rock on which they knew they could depend, the keeper and creator of traditions large and small, the confidante, the safe harbor, the trusted dispenser of advice. Guided by love, her abiding Catholic faith, and her belief in justice, Eileen’s example to her family and her community cannot be overstated. In addition, she was just so much fun to be around – the life of the party, a fantastic dancer, a beautiful singer, a storyteller, and a sought-after audience member for ballet recitals, school performances, and impromptu living room “shows.”

Eileen died on March 11, 2020, at Washington Hospital Center surrounded by her husband, her children, their spouses, and her sister and brother-in-law while listening to her favorite Irish musician. She had spent the previous four months in rehab recovering from a stroke and was just four days from finally returning home to continue her recovery. She is survived by James, her husband of 51 years, her sister Ruth Milano, and her five children and their families, Joseph Zogby and Lamece Baligh, and their sons James, Elias, and Luke; Elizabeth Zogby and Gregory Katz, and their children Cecilia, Quinn, and Hope; Sarah Zogby and Andrew Auseon, and their daughters Samara and Teresa; Matthew Zogby and Joy Gerdy Zogby, and their children, Desmond, Zenora, and Patricia Jane; and Mary-Margaret and Caitlin Zogby, and their children Mary Eileen and Benjamin, and many nieces, nephews, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and other loved ones.

We will have a funeral mass and celebration of Eileen’s life at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, in Washington DC, but the date is to be determined due to the coronavirus. In lieu of flowers, donations in Eileen’s memory can be made to the Eileen Patricia McMahon Zogby Irish Education Fund at LeMoyne College, https://securelb.imodules.com/s/445/16/interior.aspx?sid=445&gid=1&pgid=4073&cid=7133