Eileen Howard

Eileen Howard (nee O’Donnell), 89, fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church, passed peacefully in her home of 63 years with her family at her bedside.

Beloved wife of Harold W. Howard; dearest mother of Mary Beth (Ken) Braunfeld, Tom (Chris) Howard, Ann (Tom) Yeager, Mike (Kathryn) Howard, and John Howard. Cherished grandmother of Kathryn, Maggie (Alex), Bridget, Michael (Stephanie), Joe, Caroline, Claire (Julian), John, Audrey (Carson), Daniel, and Kevin; dear sister, sister-in-law, aunt, cousin, and friend.

 Born September 14, 1934, to the late Helen (nee Waldron) and Joseph P. O’Donnell, Eileen grew up on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio with her 3 siblings, Joe, Mary, and Maureen. She graduated from Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, where she earned her BSN. After graduation, she worked as both a floor nurse and a nursing instructor. Eileen met the love of her life, Harold, on a blind date and they were married on November 26, 1960. They moved to Lemay, where they raised 5 children, and were active parishioners at St. Bernadette Parish.

After a 17-year hiatus to raise her family, Eileen returned to nursing in 1978. She joined the team at St. Anthony’s Medical Center, where she worked in the nursery for the next 19 years. She retired in 1997 to spend more time with Harold, her children, and her grandchildren. 

Eileen was a loving mother, devoted wife, and faithful Catholic. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with her grandchildren and getting together as a family. She loved making every birthday special, and every holiday, especially Christmas, unforgettable. Eileen was dearly loved, and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Visitation at Ziegenhein & Sons, 4830 Lemay Ferry Road, Thursday, February 22, from 4-8pm. A Funeral Mass will be held at 9:30am Friday, February 23, at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 68 Sherman Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, 63125, with interment at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery immediately following. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Mark Society of St Vincent de Paul (St. Mark SVDP) or Nurses for Newborns Donate - Nurses for Newborns Missouri.