Many of you have been e-mail subscribers to The Doyle Dining Room Blog, and Thank You! It's been nice to have your interest in the Doyle Family Tree! Unfortunately, however, blogger is discontinuing its e-mail subscriber service this month (July, 2021). Evidently, there are new and improved ways to get posts of your favorite blogs sent to you.
And ... here's one way that works nicely! For free! On your phone or iPad, you go to the App Store and search for "Feed Reader." Select an option that looks good to you, and then download it. The one I chose (feeder.co—see icon above) has been working real well; all my favorite blogs show up nicely. And, it was free! (It also has an e-mail option ... but that's not free.)
App Store Icon & Feeder Icon
How the Feeder App looks when opened on an iPhone ...
The directions are pretty simple!
1) Download a Feed Reader App and open it.
2) Enter the URL: thedoylediningroom.blogspot.com
3) Click "+Follow."
4) Repeat steps 2 & 3 for any other blogs you like.
5) Back on the home screen, tap on your new App.
6) Select the post titles that capture your attention, and enjoy!
An Extra Note ...
I have no idea how long The Doyle Dining Room Blog will continue. For now, it seems a few intriguing things here and there stumble into my mailbox, so I put them in. I don't have the depth that Aunt Eileen (together with cousin Margie Frazer) had, but I enjoy a good story now and then. Be sure to scroll back a bit ... there is a post on John Albert Doyle featured in an old Detective magazine called "Flynn's Weekly," a lengthy write-up on Aunt Eileen, and a post on Uncle Leo's woodworking. If you really scroll back, you'll discover a huge archive of Aunt Eileen's posts on family history. And, there are at least two more posts slated for August and September. It might end with the September post ... or it might not! We'll see!
Uncle Leo Doyle (grandson of John Albert Doyle and brother to Eileen Doyle Barbarisi) was recently invited to participate in the Lancaster Weekly Coffee Hour (via Zoom) to talk about his Wood Turning expertise—he offered a few tips, and showed some of his prized wood turning creations.
Ten Fast Facts on Uncle Leo & Wood Turnings
1) As a college student, Uncle Leo was studying architecture and realized that instead of drawing at the drafting board, he'd rather be creating.
2) Upon graduation at R.I.T., he was invited to start a wood program at California State University—San Bernardino. This ultimately led to the creation of a Fine Arts program at the University!
3) Uncle Leo found the best part of teaching to be the 37 years of teaching woodworking and working with the students.
4) He found committee meetings to be the worst part of teaching woodworking.
5) His favorite kind of wood is Honduras Mahogany.
6) Uncle Leo took a sabbatical in Nova Scotia on Folk Art, which inspired him to create colorful hand-crafted wooden birds to work into some of his art pieces.
7) His dual-function pieces typically got the most attention at shows; for example: see the Sugar-Bowl-With-Spoon at 19:15 minutes.
8) His almost-hidden drawers in some of his Wood Turning projects are awesome.
9) He established a woodworking shop in 1,000 Islands, NY, but he sold his place there and is creating a new workshop in California—where he plans to do hand-crafted pieces only.
10) Despite hitting the big 80 this year, his enthusiasm and love for the art is still clearly evident.
My Favorite Wood Turning Piece Crafted by Uncle Leo Displayed in the Video:
Truly, each project displayed such creativity and heart ... it was a treat to have a mini tour of his stunning Wood Turning work!
Vicki-The-Lovely-Assistant ...
Smart move to prevent the wood oil from getting on your pretty tablecloth! And Ruby was so cute!💗
A Young Leo Doyle Sitting on a Chair With His Father, John Gordon Doyle A Detective Father with a Future Wood Artist Son!
The Lancaster Weekly Coffee Hour Write-Up on Uncle Leo:
Leo Doyle is a founding member of the AAW and a master craftsmen and teacher. Back in the 1970s and 80s, Leo invented methods of stack-laminating a drawer into a turned object, a technical unique never seen before and very rarely since. In this video Leo joins the Lancaster weekly coffee hour to show us his groundbreaking work, and take questions about it.
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 ...
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
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.
Years ago there was a popular Detective magazine called Flynn's Weekly. In the May 22, 1926 issue, a story featuring one of our ancestors, John Albert Doyle—the founder of Doyle Detective Bureau—was included. Click on the link below the images and you will be able to access the whole article!
Flynn's Weekly (cover)
Detective Fiction with the Thrill of Truth
May 22, 1926
10 Cents
The First Page of: "Some Tangled Trails" Featuring John Albert Doyle
Lizzie Moore - A Loving Aunt and Great-Aunt
Growing up, I often heard stories about Aunt Lizzie Moore. She was a maternal aunt of my Grandmother, Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle and actually played a big part in raising my Grandmother, for her mother died when Grandma was a child. Aunt Lizzie did not stop with raising my grandmother. Later on, she continued on by helping to care for Grandma's children as well ... Lib Doyle Judge, Eileen Doyle Barbarisi, Greg Doyle (my father), and Patricia Doyle McCooey. Leo Doyle was about five years old when Aunt Lizzie died and has only a few vague memories of this sweet great-aunt. The youngest of the family, Mike Doyle, was born after Aunt Lizzie's death. Aunt Lizzie was probably born between the late 1850s and early 1870s in Bolivar, NY.
1930s - Eileen, Greg, And Lib Doyle
Some Of The Children Aunt Lizzie Helped To Raise
A Second Home And Lots Of Sleepovers
Aunt Lizzie shared a home on 160 Sawyer Street in Rochester with her niece Catherine "Kate" Daley and nephew Andrew Daley. All three of these relatives never married: Great-Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Andy. However, they treated my father and his siblings like their own children. Their house was not far from where the Mary and Jack Doyle family lived and nieces and nephews were welcome to the Sawyer St. house at any time ... where they found endless love, warmth, and comfort.
One of Aunt Lizzie's Rosaries
If you look closely, you can see that the bead close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus medal has some indentations. It seems likely that this was a bead where Aunt Lizzie's fingers spent some extra time.
Perhaps during in between times of rosary praying, Aunt Lizzie unconsciously clasped and pressed upon this particular bead; maybe during times of extra contemplation and meditation.
A Closer View of the Irregular-looking Bead
Always Praying, Always Praying ... Aunt Lizzie is remembered as being a very prayerful person. Both Dad and Aunt Eileen have shared memories of her frequently praying the rosary. She seemed to be praying constantly—often while sitting on her rocking chair with rosary in hand. She also managed to pray in the midst of making lunch for her nieces and nephews.
Aunt Lib (Elizabeth) Doyle Judge (1932-ish - 2010) With Her Family c. 1980s
Aunt Lib was the oldest of Mary Bernadine and Jack Doyle's children and named after Aunt Lizzie.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Aunt Lizzie Moore At The Wedding Of The Niece She Raised
- Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle (my grandmother).
Rochester, NY - August, 1930
Aunt Lizzie is sitting in the first row behind the children.
She is the third from the left with a dark dress and corsage.
