Eileen Jacobs Sweeney

Eileen Jacobs Sweeney
Eileen Jacobs Sweeney, 73, beloved wife of Wayne M. Sweeney, and beloved mother of Jacqueline Sweeney and Sean Sweeney, passed away, surrounded by her immediate family, on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
A lifelong and highly engaged resident of Manchester, Eileen was born October 7, 1950, the eldest daughter of the late Maxwell Jacobs of Barre, VT and Shirley Hoffner of Manchester, CT. Eileen had a charming and ready laugh, warm smile, and kind green eyes that comforted all who knew her. She was overjoyed to be a grandma to Quinn Sweeney, and cherished and delighted in her time reading and playing with him. An avid Beatles fan, Eileen was a longtime vegetarian and compassionate animal rescuer, champion for those in need of housing and social serves, voice for education funding, access, and resources, and advocate for the preservation and adaptive reuse of historic landmarks and structures, as well as protection of green spaces at the local and state level. For most of her varied career arc, she served as the Executive Director of the Central CT Tourism Agency, based in New Britain, CT, coordinating and promoting programming and events in arts, business, and cultural arenas to support local and municipal organizations. Eileen's commitment to the community over her lifetime, beginning as a teenager who organized fundraisers, participated in the Manchester Committee for Peace and Justice, and fostered and placed shelter animals in new homes, was emblematic of continued decades of hard work and action for peace and social justice. She leaves behind many dear family members and friends whose lives were shaped by her care and involvement.
A Wake with public calling hours will be held Monday, May 13, from 5-7 p.m. at Holmes-Watkins Funeral Home, 400 Main Street Manchester, CT 06040, followed by a memorial service Tuesday, May 14, at 10 a.m. Burial private to immediate family. In memory of Eileen, donations may be made to: Our Companions Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, https://www.ourcompanions.org/ , CT Votes for Animals, https://www.ctvotesforanimals.org/ , One Tree Planted, https://onetreeplanted.org/ , or Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, https://donate.imaginationlibrary.com/ .