Remembering Aunt Eileen - Eileen Therese Doyle Barbarisi

 

Eileen Therese Doyle Barbarisi

Our dear Favorite Family Historian, Eileen Doyle Barbarisi has left us. After a few years of some difficult health struggles, she passed away quietly on February 28, 2021 with her daughter Andrea at her side, offering her words of love and comfort during her last moments on earth. A quiet funeral was held at Aunt Eileen's home parish of St. Patrick's Church in Largo, FL (I love the link ... Aunt Eileen was so proud of her Irish roots, and her funeral was held at a church named after the patron saint of Ireland! How perfect is that?). Andrea and her husband Allard brought her cremains up to Rochester, for a burial at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery on May 3, 2021. She was a dear Daughter, Mother, Sister, Sister-in-Law, and Aunt—and gave so much. Aunt Eileen started this blog at the age of 77! Pretty impressive! Most would've shied away from such an undertaking at that age! But, Aunt Eileen had spirit and was always willing to give it a go! And she left this beautiful treasure behind for all Doyle and extended Doyle family members to enjoy and learn from for generations to come.

Eileen Therese Doyle as a Young Girl

The set up for Aunt Eileen's Funeral

After the funeral, Andrea and Allard brought her cremains to Kentucky and kept them there until they could make the arrangements for a burial in NY. 

Aunt Eileen's Urn in Kentucky

I had just been thinking about Aunt Eileen's middle name: Therese, after St. Therese of Lisieux. Aunt Eileen had a special devotion to her patron saint! (They were both artistic, by the way!) Shortly after having had these thoughts, Andrea sent me a picture of Aunt Eileen's urn ... so lovely ... and with a rose on it! A sign from St. Therese, I'm sure!

Preparing for the Burial Service at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery

Andrea (who took such constant and attentive care of Aunt Eileen!)
next to my mother, Margie Doyle. (Andrea's husband Allard is in the background.)

L→R:
John & Jenn Barbarisi, John Doyle, Allard Robbins, Andrea Robbins

My brother John Doyle took a few videos from the burial prayer service ...

Burial Prayer Service - Responsorial Psalm 

The LORD is My Light and My Salvation

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, NY

Priest: Fr. Daniel Holland

May 3, 2021

Burial Prayer Service - Gospel Reading

The Persistent Widow

(Luke 18:1-8)

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, NY

Priest: Fr. Daniel Holland

May 3, 2021

A few weeks after Aunt Eileen's burial, my husband and I made a trip to Rochester and we stopped by to see Aunt Eileen's tomb. There was a sweet violet nearby, so I placed it on her stone.

Eileen Therese Doyle Barbarisi

Born: February 5, 1933 in Rochester, NY

Died: February 28, 2021 in Largo, FL 

Buried: May 3, 2021 in Rochester, NY   

Aunt Eileen's Tomb is the one to the far right. If you are ever in Rochester, you can find her tomb at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery: Section 26, Lot 180. You can also type in: 

Eileen Doyle Barbarisi

 ... in the search bar in the "Locate a Loved One" page of the Holy Sepulchre Website, and a nice map pops up. She is buried next to her parents and Uncle Mike Doyle. If you take about fifteen steps beyond the Doyle monument, you can see the Genesee River.

Visiting Aunt Eileen

She had been very dear to me in many ways over the years!

Some Photos of Aunt Eileen ...

The Three Oldest Doyle Siblings
L→R: Eileen, Greg, Lib

Eileen Therese Doyle

Eileen Therese on a Pony!

Aunt Eileen is Sitting on the Left Chair, with a Striped Top

The John Gordon & Mary Doyle Children
Aunt Eileen is to the far left in the dark suit.

My Last Visit With Aunt Eileen
March, 2014 - Largo, FL
L→R: Noah Nelson, Margie Doyle, Eileen Doyle Barbarisi, Greg Doyle, Theresa Doyle-Nelson

Some of the beautiful artwork created by Aunt Eileen ...

The Adorable Barbarisi Children:
Andrea, John, Marco

I loved these little rocks that Aunt Eileen had painted and had set about her house!

Mercy High School Senior Prom

Another lovely painting by Aunt Eileen.
The lady in blue at the bottom may likely represent Mary,
for Aunt Eileen had great devotion to the Blessed Mother.

A pretty sailboat scene.

Mother And Baby

Our Lady, Star of the Sea

Aunt Eileen painted this Our Lady, Star of the Sea using a fascinating technique ...

God’s Secret Designs Inside a Rock

- Take a rock, a little bit bigger than the size of a softball, and with a sledge hammer, break the rock in two. 
- Look at the two inside portions, wet them and study the design.  What do you see?  

- Take a 12 X 24 sheet of card stock and from the design in the rock, draw the interesting features and figures. 

- Take a 12 X 24 300 pound watercolor paper and place it on top of the drawn design. 

- Place the card stock drawings and water color paper on top of a light box and copy your design onto the watercolor paper. 

- Paint the design with watered down acrylic. Watering it down lets you see your design.  

A special painting Aunt Eileen made just for me and my family: The Marine Corps Guardian Angel!

It has traveled with us from Alabama to Italy to Rhode Island to San Diego to Texas ... it has always gotten a special place of honor in our various houses!

More On Aunt Eileen ... besides raising three beautiful children, Eileen was a pilot, a musician, an artist, a teacher of art, and spent many years as a counselor for those suffering from addiction. 

- Aunt Eileen was a very devout Catholic. She attended mass as often as she could and had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She kept a large, beautiful family heirloom framed print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a prominent spot in her home after her mother passed away. Once bound to a wheelchair, Eileen found enrichment and comfort watching various shows presented on EWTN.  

- Aunt Eileen was a go-to person for prayer. If anyone in the family, or a friend needed a prayer, they could be confident that Aunt Eileen would storm heaven. She was much like The Persistent Widow in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 18:1-8). With her framed print of the Sacred Heart of Jesus nearby and a rosary in her hand, heaven would no doubt hear her prayers! Now that she is on the other side of the veil, she is likely more than happy to continue to pray for anyone who asks.

- Eileen all but dropped everything in her life ... during the two bouts of leukemia her oldest child, Marco, suffered through. She went to the hospital daily and did all she could to comfort her son through the two difficult and long attacks. Her full focus was on Marco until he passed away in 1998 at the age of 38.  

- Aunt Eileen was a skilled artist ... and was generous with her work. Once (she was probably in her late 40s) she tried teaching a group of family members some basic skills in charcoal drawing. It was a little tricky when she noticed her brother making airplane designs out of his charcoaled thumb prints while another relative was doodling away, oblivious to the lesson. She gave a mildly exasperated sigh, but kept her cool and continued on with the lesson. 

- Teaching Art to Children ... A more attentive audience was in her retirement years, she gave private art lessons to children in her neighborhood. She was particularly fond of her art students with special needs. Parents remarked at how the art lessons brought out a new and happy dimension of their children who struggled in so many other areas in life. Eileen felt as blessed as the children when giving these special art lessons.

- Aunt Eileen was a Devoted Family Ancestry-Keeper ... She gathered together loads of family history information and organized it all, putting much of the information on this blog: The Doyle Dining Room. She especially felt a call to pray for all family members who had already passed away. 

- Eileen was an accomplished musician — and was often asked to play the piano at school events and family gatherings.

- Eileen Spent Many Years in the Rehabilitation Field – During the many years Eileen lived in Louisiana, she gave tirelessly to those who had succumbed to addiction in its variety of forms. She gave all she encountered hope, and the tools needed for renewed lives. Intriguingly, she was nicknamed “The White Shark” during this career segment of her life; those who attended her counseling sessions knew that they had to be upfront and honest with Eileen … nothing could get past her! 

- Eileen also worked hard to carefully educate many friends and family members along the way including her siblings, and her teenage and young adult nieces and nephews. Her knowledge of addiction tendencies and behaviors, and depth of information helped to shape and improve the lives of countless. (A personal note: I always felt like I had a mini Aunt Eileen on my shoulder all the way through college. I  often felt her presence with an extra strength every time a beer or glass of wine was offered to me. Her talks and guidance directly influenced my drinking choices while away at school. I am grateful for her timely instruction and researched-based advice.)

A Quick Summary of Aunt Eileen ...

• She was a graduate of Nazareth College, having majored in business
• She learned to speak French and Italian as a military wife in these two countries
• She earned a pilot’s license
• She was an immensely talented piano player
• She was a tremendously efficacious rehab counselor
• She was a talented artist and art teacher
• She was a remarkable Family Ancestry Keeper (The DoyleDiningRoom.blogspot.com)
• She was a resolute Prayer Warrior

A Note From Her Brother Leo Doyle, from California (the last surviving sibling) after Aunt Eileen passed away:

In 1940, my dear sister Eileen was instrumental in raising me from the time I was a baby. Our Mom had really just started with the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis and was unable to lift me. So, Eileen was called into service. She must have done a great job because I never had a complaint. The one thing that happened that we often reminisced about was when she accidentally swallowed a diaper pin she was using to change my diaper. It caused quite a commotion—fortunately the pin was locked closed. She did have to go to be X-rayed, and eventually the diaper pin found its way out naturally. She was always the greatest sister to me and I loved her very much. I miss her now and I will always miss her.

Aunt Eileen was predeceased ... by her son Marco Barbarisi; her parents: John Gordon Doyle & Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle; and four siblings: Elizabeth Doyle Judge, J. Gregory Doyle, Patricia Doyle McCooey, and Michael Doyle.

Aunt Eileen is survived ... by her daughter and son-in-law: Andrea & Allard; her son and daughter-in-law: John & Jenn; her bother and sister-in-law: Leo & Vicki; her sisters-in-law: Margie and Susan; and many, many nieces and nephews.

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