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

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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John Albert Doyle - Featured in Flynn's Weekly

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

Click Here To Read The Rest Of:

Some Tangled Trails

A YouTube video showing various clips of John A. Doyle

See the whole video with more family members here.

prologue

Aunt Lizzie Moore & A Visit from The Little Flower

Aunt Lizzie

Aunt Lizzie (Elizabeth Moore) - August, 1930

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.



St. Thérèse - The Little Flower

A Vision Of The Little Flower
Besides having a strong devotion to the rosary, Aunt Lizzie also felt drawn to St. Thérèse, who at that time was a new-ish saint (St. Thérèse died in 1897 and was canonized in 1925).  Often, when my Dad (J. Gregory Doyle) went over to visit Aunt Lizzie, Aunt Kate, and Uncle Andy on Sawyer Street, his eyes fell upon a painting of St. Thérèse of Lisieux at the bottom of the stairway, near the entryway.  When Aunt Lizzie was close to death, Dad asked his mother about the painting and she told him that Aunt Lizzie had a great devotion to the Little Flower and had had at least one apparition of St. Thérèse.  My father was about 8 or 9 when Aunt Lizzie died and this story, as well as Aunt Lizzie's great piety really stuck with him.

 

 

A Firstborn Namesake ...

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.

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Uncle Andy Daley (1896-1958) ~ A Kind And Gentle Man

John Gordon Doyle (L) and Andrew W. Daley (R)
At The Wedding of John Gordon Doyle & Mary Bernadine Daley
August, 1930 - Rochester, NY

Aunt Eileen, our awesome family historian, has allowed me to add a thing or two to The Doyle Dining Room blog.  My information is more random and less sequential, but I hope you will still find my contribution(s) at least a little bit intriguing. 

Uncle Andy Daley

I heard so many wonderful comments about this kind man while growing up.  He was so good, so patient, so considerate, so pleasant to have around.  Even though he died the year before I was born, I still felt his wonderful spirit.

A World War I Vet - Uncle Andy was on older brother to my grandmother, Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle, by about 9 years.  He served in World War I and one story tells that he was commanded to cross enemy lines to get two buckets of beans.  While returning with the beans, one bucket was shot out of his hand.  He bravely turned back to get another bucket of beans; on his way back the second time, he was shot himself, but still able to get the much needed food to his fellow  soldiers.  Thankfully, Uncle Andy survived the injury and came home after his war duty.  Like so many war veterans, he rarely spoke of his time in the war, but discreetly shared a few bits with my grandmother.

Uncle Andy With Aunt Lib Doyle (later Judge) circa 1942

A Generous Bachelor Uncle - Back in NY, Uncle Andy never married.  However, from what I have been told, he gave greatly of himself to his sister's family and was a tremendous uncle to my father and his siblings (including Aunt Eileen).  Even as his nieces and nephews grew, Uncle Andy was still in the picture, still kind-hearted.  When my mother married into the family, she was very impressed with the humility of Uncle Andy. 

Uncle Andy's Buttermilk Pancakes - Another story tells that on many Saturday mornings, Uncle Andy would go out to get some fresh buttermilk and then make a batch of from-scratch buttermilk pancakes for his nieces and nephews.  My mother must have asked for Uncle Andy's recipe at some point, for while growing up, every now and then I would enjoy looking through her recipe box and the recipe entitled, "Uncle Andy's Pancakes" would always catch my eye.   



All Of The Groomsmen For Grandma and Grandpa Doyle's Wedding - 1930
The Groom, John Gordon Doyle is in the center with the lighter-colored suit.
His new brother-in-law, Andrew Daley, is standing just in front of him, to the right.

The younger sister of Uncle Andrew W. Daley:
Mary Bernadine Daley Doyle (1907-1991)

Just Some Of The Children That Uncle Andy Was So Good To
One Nephew And Three Nieces (1937):
John Gregory Doyle, Patricia Doyle McCooey, Elizabeth Doyle Judge, Eileen Doyle
(Leo Doyle and Michael Andrew Doyle would be born some years later.)


Uncle Andy's Pancakes
2 1/2 C. Flour
2 TBS Sugar
1 scant TBS Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
4 Eggs
1 Quart Buttermilk
3 TBS Melted Butter

Mix together the Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt in one bowl.
Mix together the Egg, Buttermilk, and Melted Butter in a separate bowl.
Pour the Egg-Buttermilk-Butter mixture into the Flour mixture and stir.
Cook pancakes on a frying pan until golden brown.


A Few Uncle Andy Namesakes

My Uncle Michael Andrew Doyle (also my Godfather!) - he was born in 1944 and is the youngest of Mary Bernadine and John Gordon's six children.  Uncle Mike was about 14 years old when his Uncle Andy died.  (Photo taken with his wife, Susan, in March, 2014 in Seminole, FL.)

Andrea Barbarisi Robbins, the daughter of our family historian, Eileen, and my wonderful and so very sweet cousin.  Andrea was born in 1966 in Maine - eight years after Uncle Andy's death.  Aunt Eileen felt inspired to name her youngest child after her beloved Uncle Andy.  This photo was taken on Andrea's wedding day.  She married Allard Robbins in 2011.

Noah Chad Andrew Nelson

Confirmed by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller

April, 2013 - Bandera, TX

Noah Chad Andrew Nelson - About 55 years after the death of Uncle Andy, his Great-Great-Nephew (my son), Noah Nelson, chose the name Andrew for his Confirmation name.  Although Noah was far enough removed from the stories of Uncle Andy, and maybe only had a very vague sense of who Uncle Andy was, I still like the fact that he chose this name.  

Andrew Michael Engh
Fairport, NY

Andrew Michael Engh - A precious new addition to the family, born on November 29, 2019.  He is the son of Emily Doyle Engh and Derek Engh, and the brother of Annabelle Engh.  Emily had a special affection for her Great Uncle Michael Andrew Doyle (see above) who was named after Uncle Andy.  Little Andrew is a Great-Great-Great-Nephew of Uncle Andrew Daley. 

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