Eileen Mary Clinton, 76, of West Milford, passed away at her home with her loving husband by her side on Jan. 29.
She was born in the Bronx, New York, where she attended Preston High School.
She graduated from the Katharine Gibbs School in 1963 and went on to work as an executive secretary at Estee Lauder Co.
During this time she met the love of her life Kenneth Clinton, a charming young man also from the Bronx.
They married in 1966 and moved to West Milford where they raised four children.
Their house was a loving and welcoming place that was filled with music and laughter.
Anyone who entered was greeted with Eileen's smiling face and warm hello.
Those years were filled with school and bagpipe band activities, Highlander sports, backyard parties and trips to the Jersey Shore.
Eileen's time was spent driving car loads of kids around, helping to write reports on any topic, and making breakfast for dozens of teenagers at any time of day.
She loved and supported her husband and children in everything that they did.
In their retirement, Eileen and Ken loved to entertain friends, were avid Yankee fans, and played very competitive backgammon and Rummy Cube.
Eileen enjoyed trips to the beach and sitting with Ken on their back deck in West Milford. Upon moving to Bald Eagle Commons, she made many friends and enjoyed being a part of the Caring Crafters and her ladies lunch group.
Eileen's greatest pleasure was spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
She was a devoted grandmother, celebrating all the holidays with big, delicious dinners and making sure her Christmas tree was bursting with presents underneath.
She was the first to congratulate a grandchild for a job well done, whether it was a soccer tournament, a Little League baseball game, a track meet, or a karate belt test, she was always supportive with kind words of encouragement and love.
Eileen and Ken spent many relaxing days in recent years with their grandchildren on Ocean Beach 3 in Lavallette, watching them swim and surf, collecting shells, and doing crossword puzzles.
Eileen took great pride in her family, her home, her husband, and everything they created together.
She is predeceased by her parents, Thomas and Mary Edridge and her brother Thomas.
She is survived by her loving husband Ken, her children Courtenay Dolan and her husband Pete, Timothy Clinton and his wife Cathy, Cavan Farrell and her husband Sean, Erin Haworth and her husband Justin, and her nine grandchildren; her sisters Joan Sherlock, Patricia Utzschneider and her husband Rudy, Lorraine Nims and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held in her honor on Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church, 454 Germantown Road in West Milford.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation at http://www.nyffburncenter.com.