Eileen O Quinn

Eileen O. Quinn, who died suddenly on Saturday, December 9th, will be sadly missed by her family, friends, and community.

Eileen was born on Christmas Day 1933, in the Harlem section of New York City. She was the youngest daughter of Mary Sullivan (Sullivan Pound) and Patrick O’Sullivan (Sullivan Glas), who were both from Glentrasna, Lauragh, County Kerry, Ireland. She was also the younger sister to Maureen O’Sullivan Shanahan who died in 2016.

Eileen was raised in Ireland, and that is where she went to school and excelled as a student. She went to primary school in Ardea, County Kerry and went to Cross and Passion secondary school near Ballycastle, County Antrim. 

She was a superb student of the Irish language winning the golden Fainna, achieved excellence in French, having studied in Paris, and was gifted in mathematics. For her academic excellence, Eileen was awarded a full scholarship to study at Queen’s University, Belfast. 

However, she chose not to accept the scholarship and returned to the United States in 1951. Living in the Inwood section of Manhattan, she worked briefly at the Irish embassy and then at Western Electric. 

Eileen met her future husband, Kevin, through a mutual friend Margie Murphy. Eileen and Kevin were married in 1962 at Saint Jude’s in Inwood. 

Eileen and Kevin had 3 children: Kevin, Maureen (Joseph Schepis), and Kerry (Joseph Peraglia). They had 7 grandchildren: Joey, Alanna, Emma Rose, Michael, Brian (deceased), Sean, and Ava.

Eileen and Kevin moved to Nanuet, NY in 1968 where they became members of Saint Aedan’s Parish in Pearl River, NY, where she was active in the Legion of Mary.

Eileen worked at Saint Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, NY from 1974 to 1996. Furthermore, it was there she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1990. 

Eileen was intelligent, devoted, and strong willed. She fiercely believed in education and was a persistent driving force.

Eileen was immensely proud of her heritage. She was proud of being an American and proud of being Irish. Above all, she was proud of being from Kerry. As they say, there are only two kingdoms, The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Kerry.

Eileen loved, and was so loved by, her family and friends. Here is to her just short of 90 years of life! In the spirit of the Christmas season, as she was a Christmas baby, we want to celebrate the gift that was her life. Slainte, Mom! ‘Til we meet again.

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