Eileen Riordan

Eileen Riordan, 88, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 28, 2014 at Saint Antoine Residence, North Smithfield. Born and raised in Peabody, MA, she was a daughter of the late Jeremiah and Annie (Moran) Riordan.Eileen's education began in 1930 at St John the Baptist Parochial School in Peabody graduating from its high school in 1942 whereupon she entered Emmanuel College. Graduating as a Biology Major in the Class of 1946, she entered an International Order of Religious Woman, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, at their Novitiate at Fruit Hill in Providence, R.I. Her assignment upon completing her first vows in March of 1949 was to the Stella Maris College in Madras, India a newly established college for Indian women that first opened its doors on Aug. 15, 1947, the same day as Indian Independence. She and two Canadian sisters traveled by freighter to their new assignment. The trip by that means at that time took almost four weeks.Known then as Mother Edwin, Eileen established the Department of Zoology at the College. From time to time she would take students on outings. She spent 20 years at the Stella Maris College assignment and obtained her Masters Degree at Madris University while in India. She was formally recognized as a "Founder of the Department of Zoology at Stella Maris College" on a return visit in 1996.That she was well respected and loved by her students and faculty is testified by the number who kept in contact with her over the years. One of them, Meera Paul, a student who later joined her staff as a professor of zoology now lives in Missouri. Her son lives in Connecticut. This teacher came several times to visit her at St. Antoine's. Another student, now a retired doctor from Singapore sang Mother Edwin's praises when she visited the FMM sisters at Fruit Hill last year.Sunday, this e-mail was received from Meera Paul to the sisters at Fruit Hill regarding Eileen:"Thank you very much for informing us about Eileen. We were saddened to hear that -her time on earth is over and she is now with the Lord. We have visited her for about ten years in Rhode Island-every time we visited David [Meera's son] we made it a point to visit her. We have been able to discern her slow and steady decline and last year she had an oxygen supply fitted to her nostrils. Each year I would return with a question mark about being able to meet her the following year. There is no more such a question. She met me at the airport when I first landed in TN with a bunch of Red Roses-had a party arranged for Mary, David and me at her home with her colleagues from Maryville College-took us out several times sight seeing and eating out -came home every time she came to Oakridge where we were-entertained at her home -3 times-stayed with her-happy memories in our Book of Memories. She was an excellent teacher and I am always grateful to her for giving me the blessed opportunity to be part of Stella Maris College-where I taught for 39 years and studied for 2 years.-more than half my life -"Thus would we pass from the earth and its toiling only remembered by what we have done."Upon returning to the United States in 1969 she began Doctoral work at Boston College earning her PhD in Biology in 1976In 1975, she was asked by the FMM order to go to Arizona to work at a mission with Navajo Indians. She remained at this assignment for six years gaining an appreciation of Native American Culture and Traditions. Her own religious renewal at a nearby monastery initiated interest in Psychoanalyst Carl Jung's Dream Theory. While on sabbatical in the early '80's she traveled extensively in Europe and spent time studying at the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Motherhouse in Rome, Italy and the Jung Institute near Zurich, Switzerland.After completing her sabbatical, she taught biology at St John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Upon leaving the order in the early '80's, she joined the faculty at Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee where she taught for ten years. While there, and in her retirement years in Tennessee, she developed a very well regarded practice called "Dream Quest" conducting group classes to help people understand their dreams at Maryville College and at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She was active in the Holy Family Catholic Church community in Seymour, TN, a member of the Maryville College Branch of the American Association of University Woman as well as President of the Blount County (TN) Democratic Woman's Club. She leaves behind several nieces, nephews, and many friends. Eileen was the sister of the late John, J. Thomas, and Timothy Riordan, Catherine Brady, and Mary Kelleher. Burial will in Saint Mary Cemetery at a later date, in Salem, MA in the family plot where her parents are buried as well as a beloved aunt, Kate Moran, who passed in 1947 and one of her brothers, Timothy Riordan. Jerome Thomas Riordan is also memorialized at the family plot. A Funeral Mass will take place at 10:00 AM Thursday morning March 6, 2014 in the Chapel at the St. Antoine Residence, 10 Rhodes Av., North Smithfield, RI. Visiting hours will be respectfully omitted. Donations in her memory can be made to the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, 399 Fruit Hill Avenue, North Providence, RI 02911. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home, Providence, RI.www.boyleandsonfuneralhome.com