Eileen Eddins

Eileen Eddins, 77, of Greentown, passed away peacefully at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Dunmore, after a short but valiant battle with cancer. Her loving husband of 18 years is Peter Eddins.

Born in Archbald, she was the daughter of the late William and Mary Welsch, and a proud resident of No. 5 Hill during her youth. She held fond memories of her childhood there, and always had a story to tell about being a "hiller." She met her childhood best friend, Sharon Plevyak, on No. 5 Hill, and their friendship endured through Eileen's entire life.

After a divorce left her a single parent, she enrolled her daughter in the Head Start preschool program and also found her true calling in life. When leaving her child each day proved to be too tough, Eileen began working at Head Start and spent the next 30 years there, advancing her way up from a cook in Jermyn to center director in Ocala, Florida. She was so proud of her career and surely changed many children's lives. She also forged a treasured, lifelong friendship at Head Start with her supervisor, Sally Kane. Toward the end of her career, Eileen continued to make her family proud by enrolling in college and graduating with honors at the age of 62, though she would typically give the credit to Pete for helping her succeed.

His unwavering support of her was only one of the many things that made him such a gift.

While living in Florida, Eileen met the love of her life, Pete, who showed her endless kindness and compassion throughout their years together. The dignity and love he gave her during her illness was yet another example of why he is such a perfect husband. Eileen treasured every day she had with him. Together, they took amazing vacations, including Australia, England, Germany and other parts of Europe. She even got to see the Eiffel Tower with her children and two granddaughters, which was a goal she had for many years. Although a self-labeled homebody, Eileen was always grateful for the chance to see beautiful places.

Upon moving back to Pennsylvania, Eileen and Pete became very involved with St. John's Episcopal Church in Hamlin. She spent many years volunteering there, including alter guild and vestry. She built many friendships at St. John's and although too many to name individually, the family hopes they all know how much their help and kindness during Eileen's illness meant to her.

Volunteerism was immensely important to Eileen. She truly believed in giving back to the community, such as dedicating time to the Wallenpaupack South Elementary and their PTO, working at church dinners, and baking for the annual church cookie sale. Eileen and Peter would bake over 3,000 cookies some years.

An important part of Eileen's life was family. She was honored to have a son who achieved many life accomplishments, and her greatest joy was spending time with her daughter and granddaughters on road trips, shopping and going out to lunch. Eileen was so grateful for her son-in-law who would do anything for her. She loved gathering with her sisters and brothers for monthly breakfast and their annual Christmas dinner. Her 21 nieces and nephews were always close to her heart, and the family appreciates those who showed Eileen love and support during her illness.

The most cherished part of Eileen's retirement was time spent with the loves of her life, her granddaughters, Lauren and Taylor. In her eyes, nothing compared to watching them play sports, perform in plays and recitals, or succeed in school. If you needed to find Eileen, you would look no further than the front row when they were performing. Her proudest moments were watching them on stage at a Kelly Patrick dance recital. In addition to helping them achieve success in school and activities, Eileen taught them how to bake, sew and plant. She helped them grow apple trees from tiny seeds and, with much love, they flourished and stand tall in the yard today. She helped instill in them the values of faith and family, and her love and care will live on forever in their hearts. They will miss her terribly.

If you knew Eileen personally, you probably have either a blanket or recipe from her today. She loved to cook, bake and crochet, and most importantly, sharing these crafts with others. Her personality could be felt as soon as you met her and, as her niece stated, she was always the energy in every room. Most recently, she surprised her daughter with a cookbook of all of her original recipes, something that will be treasured forever.

Surviving are her husband, Peter, Greentown; son, David, Germany; daughter, Jennifer Mercereau and husband, Michael, who was really a second son more than a son-in-law, Greentown; three granddaughters, Candi Nations and husband, Gary, Virginia; and Lauren and Taylor Mercereau, Greentown; three great-granddaughters; three stepchildren, Colin, James and Tammie; and six step-grandchildren.

Eileen is also survived by her sister, Ann Mizanty, and brother, Bill Welsch and wife, MaryAnn, all of Eynon; brother, Robert and wife, Barbara, Peckville; sister-in-law, Anna Menth, Archbald; sister-in-law Sissie Benginia and husband, Frank, Bethlehem; and brother-in-law, Bob and wife, Gill, New York City. She was preceded in death by her beloved brothers, John and Joseph Welsch; sister, Barbara Harvey; and brothers-in-law, Bob Mizanty and Jack Harvey. Her brother Joe's service as a Pennsylvania State Trooper made her eminently proud and equally devastated when he was killed in the line of duty in 1977.

The family would like to thank all of Eileen's doctors, hospice nurses, friends and family for their care during her illness. In her final act of kindness, Eileen donated her body to medical research with the hope that something can be learned from her rare and aggressive cancer.

A celebration of life will be held Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Harrison Funeral Home, 374 N. Main St., Archbald, and a memorial service will be held in the spring at St. John's Episcopal Church in Hamlin. In Eileen's honor, memorial contributions can be made to Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Dunmore, and Asera Care Hospice. In Eileen's honor, please perform a random act of kindness today.