Obituary of Eileen Callaghan

   Eileen Callaghan, 81, of Whiting, NJ, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

Eileen was born in Brooklyn, NY on November 8, 1937 to Agnes and John Kelly. After completing high school, Eileen continued her education at Hunter College to fulfill her life-long dream of becoming a nurse. She worked at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City for many years, pausing her career to raise three children, five dogs, and a cat with her childhood friend-turned-sweetheart-turned-husband, John Callaghan. Eileen went back to school later in life to complete her bachelor's degree in nursing while working for the Visiting Nurse Association of New Jersey. Before long, she was promoted to a supervisor position, and eventually moved on to become a director within St. Barnabas Home Health Care. Towards the end of her career, she worked in home health care accreditation. 

Throughout her life, Eileen enjoyed several hobbies including knitting, solving crossword puzzles, and reading mysteries. She liked the beach but disliked the sand, liked entertaining but disliked the cleaning up, liked the Mets but disliked the Yankees. She will be remembered most for her huge smile, bright eyes, and instant recall of Merck's Manual. 

Eileen is predeceased by her husband John, and her longtime friend and honorary family member Msgr. Thomas Nielson. She is survived by her daughters, Susan Forte and Sheila Callaghan; her son, Peter John Callaghan; and her two grandchildren, Cal and Sean.

Eileen was a communicant of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Whiting and a member of the church’s Helping Hands Program. Visitation will be Sunday, May 12th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Manchester Memorial Funeral Home, 28 Schoolhouse Road, Whiting. A Funeral Liturgy will be offered on Monday, May 13th at 10:45 a.m. at the All Saints Chapel of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Whiting. Interment will follow at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery in Freehold, NJ. As Eileen was a cancer survivor, she would appreciate donations to the American Cancer Society in lieu of flowers.