Obituary of Eileen Ann O'Boyle

Eileen Ann O'Boyle, 80, of Harveys Lake, formerly of Santa Rosa, California, passed away Wednesday night at the Sisters of Mercy Skilled Nursing Center, Dallas, PA after a long battle with cancer. Born in Pittston, Eileen was the daughter of the late James Francis and Margaret Dillon O'Boyle. The eighth of eight children, Eileen was the beloved baby of the O'Boyle family. Eileen was a graduate of Wyoming Seminary and Wilkes-Barre Business College. As a young adult, she resided with her mother and was employed at WBRE, where she worked in administration. Eileen suffered for many years from diabetes, which affected her eyesight. After her mother's death in 1969, she moved to the California bay area, to be near family and take advantage of the then new laser eye treatments that had become available on the west coast. In California, Eileen began her career at Abercrombie and Fitch, but shortly moved to Addison Wesley Publishing where she remained until her retirement. In December of 2010, as her health began to decline, Eileen was welcomed back with open arms to Pennsylvania and resided with her sister, Margaret O'Boyle Purcell and family until last December, when she moved to Mercy Center, Dallas. She was a member of Our Lady of Victory Church, Harveys Lake. Eileen loved to travel. She made many trips abroad and had a special fondness for Ireland. She also traveled quite extensively in the United States and made several memorable trips to Hawaii. She loved animals, especially her cats. She was a voracious reader, always with the latest bestseller or her Barnes and Noble Nook at her side. She treasured the many, many friends she made throughout the country, her neighbors in California, Harveys Lake and her extended family at Mercy Center. While Eileen never married or had children of her own, she was a loving and caring aunt to all of her many nieces and nephews and their families. Over the years, her large network of family and friends moved throughout the country, but Eileen kept in touch with all of them. Everyone loved Eileen. Her kindness and generosity knew no bounds and she will be greatly missed. In addition to her parents, Eileen was preceded in death by her brothers, Michael, Eugene, James, John and Robert and sister, Catherine Ryan. She is survived by her sister, Margaret O'Boyle Purcell of Harveys Lake and numerous nieces, nephews and friends, all of whom will miss her dearly. The family wishes to acknowledge and thank Medical Oncology Associates and especially the staff and residents of Mercy Center for the loving and compassionate care they provided to Eileen during these last months. The Funeral will be Tuesday at 9:45 AM from the Curtis L. Swanson Funeral Home, Inc., corner of routes 29 & 118, Pikes Creek,, with a Mass of Christian Burial from the Mercy Center Personal Care Chapel, Miseericordia Universityt, 301 Lake St., Dallas, at 10:30 AM with Rev. Daniel Toomey, pastor of Our Lady of Victory Church, Harveys Lake, officiating. Interment will follow at Saint Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow. Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM . In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mercy Center Personal Care, P.O. Box 370, Lake Street, Dallas PA 18612