Eileen Molinski

Eileen Molinski may have died of cancer, but her spirit will live on in the lives of those she touched. A first-generation American whose mother came from Kilkenny, Ireland, she always had a smile or a kind word of advice to random strangers. "She's a pistol" or "she's a firecracker" were common ways of describing her. She told it like it is, and everyone loved her for it. Whenever today's modern world didn't quite meet her standards, she just rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever!" She jokingly said that "whatever" should be on her tombstone when she dies. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Michael Ralph Molinski; and by her four children, Michael Molinski, of Petaluma, William Molinski, of Los Angeles, Diane Rose, of Charlotte, N.C., and Daniel Molinski, of Caracas, Venezuela; and seven grandchildren, Nicholas, Nathan, Haley, Hannah, Holly, Connor and Keira. Eileen was the last survivor of 10 children, born in Orange, New Jersey to Benjamin Rawnsley and Catherine "Kitty" Malone. A big fan of old-time Hollywood, perhaps her favorite quote in life was "This too shall pass," from Gone with the Wind. Her point was that we shouldn't dwell on the problems we face, because they always have a way of being reduced over time. She was a graduate of Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, N.J., and was a secretary for Westinghouse. But of all her accomplishments, she was most proud of raising her four children. On a shoestring budget, she sent all four to the University of Southern California and to successful careers in journalism, business and law. She bragged about all of them until the day she died. Finally, she cared for her husband for 20 years, who has Parkinson's disease, until the final month when she was no longer able. She could often be seen on the streets of Petaluma, pushing his wheelchair to breakfast. A funeral will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 35 Liberty St., in Petaluma, CA, 94952, at 11:00 a.m. on November 24th, followed by a burial service at Pleasant Hill Memorial Park, 1700 Pleasant Hill Rd., Sebastopol. Flowers can be sent to the church, or a donation can be made instead to Parkinson's disease, www.michaeljfox.org/living.cfm. Mom, we will miss you, and you will always be in our hearts to give us guidance.