Eileen June Arnold

Long overdue, but I, and many others, miss a bright star of a human being in my Aunt Eileen. From years ago in my childhood I remember her constant smile and cheerful attitude to my brother and me. We were lucky nephews. I can still smell the pizza she made, which had a distinct recipe and flavor. There had to be sugar in that sauce. I remember one large family gathering when there was nothing I wanted to eat as a 7 or 8 year old boy. I still have yet to enjoy the smell of stuffed cabbage. But, Aunt Eileen introduced me to the novel concept of warm buttered bread. Amidst hosting at least 20 people at her house, she took time to butter about a half of a loaf bread for me as I kept returning for slice after slice. Aunt Eileen constantly cared. What a remarkable and admirable trait. She set a standard in caring about family. I'm sure she would love showering my son and daughter with gifts, as she always brought presents to us when I was younger. And....I'm certain she'd bring my kids a slice of warm buttered bread as that's one of their favorite foods and they are picky eaters. It may sound silly, but to this day, I still think of her each time I serve my kids a warm slice of bread or a bagel with butter. It's a comfort food. And Aunt Eileen was a comforting and loving relative.