Eileen Pearson

With great sadness, we announce the passing of Eileen Pearson, a beloved mother,

grandmother, sister, and friend, on January 13, 2026. Eileen's life was filled with love,

adventure, and kindness. She was 78 years old.

Eileen was born and raised in southern New Jersey. In her younger years, she lived on a farm

with her grandparents. Eventually, she, her mother, and her grandmother moved to Bridgeton,

where she attended Bridgeton High School. She was in the class of 1965. She was a national

honor society member, which she was very proud of. After high school, she attended Bryant

College in Providence, RI, class of 1968, where she was on the Dean's list. She earned a

Bachelor of Science degree in secretarial studies and was the president of her sorority, Delta

Sigma Chi.

After college, she lived in Boston for a year with her friends, then got married and went to

Germany, where her husband, Walter Pearson, was stationed for two years. Upon her return

stateside, she lived on the lake in Marlborough, CT, just down the street from her Aunt Fran and

Uncle Bob (in law). She worked as a paralegal at a small law practice in town and later at a

bigger practice in Hartford. She had two kids, Kelly and Kevin.

During the years that the kids were at home, she enjoyed family camping trips in their

Volkswagen pop-top. The family camped up and down the East Coast from Florida to Canada.

Her other hobbies included sewing and knitting, though "enjoyed" wouldn't be the right word for

those hobbies as they sometimes resulted in frustrated cursing.

Once the kids left the house and were educated and on their own, she and Wally traveled the

world together. Eileen enjoyed this time of discovery, seeing the sights, eating the food, and

learning about different cultures and history. When she was home she volunteered at Hartford

Hospital, providing Reiki to patients in the hospital. This gave her a great sense of purpose and

fulfillment. She spent hours in her garden, appreciating every aspect, from designing to planting

to watering and watching it grow. This gave her a great sense of peace.

In her later years, she moved to Asheville, NC, to be closer to her daughter, Kelly. She enjoyed

water aerobics at the YMCA and was a member of Unity of the Blue Ridge. Unity provided her

with a spiritual experience that she had been curious about for a long time. She volunteered

with Healing Oasis, a healing group within Unity, providing Reiki to anyone who needed it.

Over the years, Eileen had many good friends, her longest friend being Louise Shirby of NYC.

Eileen is survived by her daughter, Kelly Pearson, and son-in-law, Steve Durham; her son,

Kevin Pearson, and daughter-in-law, Lindsay Kaplan; and her grandson, Wyatt Pearson. She

also leaves behind her brother, Bill Schoonmaker, sister-in-law Linda, and many other family

members and friends who will miss her dearly.

Eileen was predeceased by her sister, Shirley Skillman; her mother, Lavinia Schoonmaker; her

father, Stanley Schoonmaker; and his wife, Elsie.

A memorial service to celebrate Eileen's life will be held on February 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to one or more of the charities listed below.

Alzheimer's Association (alz.org) – One of the leading organizations funding research,

advocacy, and support programs for those affected by Alzheimer's.

MemoryCare – This is an innovative, community-based model of care that extends beyond the

expected patient assessments, diagnosis, and treatment to clinical support that informs,

prepares, comforts, and guides families and their loved ones about what is often a long and

uncertain journey. This is a local program in Asheville, NC. Memorycare.org

Four Seasons Hospice and Palliative care – http://www.fourseasonscare.org

Mountain View Cremation & Funeral Care has the Honor of Serving the family.