Eileen Alice Gaudi

Eileen was born in Ottawa, Illinois to Matthew and Ellen (Farrell) Donohue on May 15, 1928. She lived with her parents on a farm in Wallace township. She attended grade school in a one room schoolhouse and commuted into Ottawa to attend St Xavier Academy (now Marquette Academy) for high school. Eileen earned an R.N. degree at St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in LaSalle, Illinois in 1949.

Eileen had known Neal Gaudi all her life, because his family owned the local grocery store in Ottawa. But at some point, friendship turned into love, and she and Neal were married on April 10th, 1950. They set up home on a farm in Miller Township.

The Gaudi family (now with five children) made a life-changing move to Brownsville, Texas in 1969. Eileen worked as a school nurse in the Brownsville School District for many years. Everyone at James Pace High School knew Mrs. Gaudi, and many students would drop by her office for a visit. After the death of her husband in 1989, she moved to San Antonio to be near family.

Besides her family and Catholic faith, plants and books were Eileen’s passions. She truly had a “green thumb” and loved working in her garden. She was a voracious reader and managed the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church bookstore in San Antonio for many years. Eileen enjoyed spending time in her condo on South Padre Island, which prompted her to move there permanently for the latter part of her life.

Eileen was preceded in death by her husband Neal, and her son Gene.

She is survived by her sister Dolores Passwater; daughters Cristeen (Bob) Thompson, Laurie (Walter) McDonald, Lisa (Caesar) Gonzales, and Lynne (Mike) Patterson; grandchildren Kayla Gaudi, Tenille Bankson, Ryan Karpienski, Neal Karpienski, Cole Patterson, Luke Patterson, Christy McDonald Atkinson; great-grandchildren Brittany Hart Woodin, Jed Hart, Cole Hart, Marlee Bankson, Cade Bankson, Knox Bankson, and Rayce Bankson; great-great grand-children Athena Woodin and Noah Woodin.

Funeral services for Eileen will be held on Monday, March 17th at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Chapel, 7815 Orland Park, San Antonio, Texas. The Rosary will begin at 9:30 a.m., with a Requiem Latin Mass at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in the Holy Cross Cemetery in San Antonio. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to Smile Train, https://www.smiletrain.org/.