Eileen M. Hoen

Passed away at her home on Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at the age of 88. Eileen M. (Dearlove) Hoen was born on Monday July 26, 1926 in Buffalo, NY. From a very early age, Eileen demonstrated devotion to her family, her faith, and to her music. She began taking piano lessons even before she started school and continued playing piano and organ throughout her life. In 1937, when Eileen was just ten years old, both she and her father, Arthur Dearlove, were stricken with scarlet fever. Eileen recovered, but not in time to see her father again before he died. Financial constraints forced the family, Eileen, her brother Art, and their mother Caroline, to move into her grandmother’s house. During this time, Eileen, called “Peanut” by her brother and close friends because of her tiny stature, attended Sunday services at the local Lutheran church, practiced her piano lessons , and taught her cousin, Gert, to play also .She very much enjoyed school and was an excellent student. In high school, she lettered in both swim and choir. By the time she graduated from Buffalo’s Kensington High School, America was at war. Eileen put her strong swimming skills to use by finding work as a lifeguard. Before long, she began a career in the offices of New York Central Rail Road. While at the railroad, she patriotically contributed to the war effort, and soldier morale, by writing letters to a number of servicemen. Included in her mailing list was a young sergeant, stationed in the Philippines, named John Madigan-Hoen. John also worked for the railroad. His return letters to her would begin with the very respectful salutation: “Dear Miss Dearlove.” Eileen and John discovered each other through these letters and began formally dating after the war. In the spring of 1947, they were married, by a Catholic priest, in the church rectory. Within a year, Eileen put her career at the railroad on hiatus in order to answer the higher calling of motherhood. The family expanded by 3 in the first three years of marriage. Eileen took great pride in the fact that it was her ability, as a young woman, to save the money needed to afford their first house. As the family continued to grow, so did the opportunities to showcase her considerable skills. The first seven years of their marriage brought five children and a transfer from Buffalo to Detroit. It was during this period that Eileen converted to Catholicism. She received her First Communion the same year as her oldest daughter Patricia. Even in a new city, with a burgeoning young family, Eileen found time serve others. She volunteered as a Cub Scout den mother and as part of St. Sebastian’s Altar Society. In addition to these activities, she continued to hone her artistic and homemaking skills, making life for all those around her special. Eileen took classes in cake decoration in order to produce creative confections for every occasion. She also took pride, each year, in painting an intricate Nativity Scene on the family front window. Music however was her greatest creative outlet. She found joy equally in playing classical pieces or in being the musical ringleader of household pot and pan parades. As the family continued to grow, the need for a larger house became evident. Eileen and John made plans to build a beautiful home, large enough to accommodate their brood comfortably. Eileen was the glue that held the family together during this period, always working behind the scenes to make sure that the everyday essentials were taken care of. Quite remarkably she made the transition for the family into a newly constructed house, in a new neighborhood, with new schools, and a new church (Divine Child) feel seamless and did so while caring for a new baby (#8). Five years later, and twenty years after delivering their first baby boy, Eileen delivered their final baby, also a boy. In the years that followed, Eileen would lead her youngest children through bedtime prayers that began with “Now I lay me down to sleep…” and ended with “God bless Daddy, Mommy, Michael, Patty, Timmy, Kiki, Bobby, Dennis, Jean, Kevin and Jimmy...” About the time that their youngest child was well established in school, Eileen decided it would be a good time to utilize, and possibly advance, her music talents. She began to find work playing the organ at Divine Child, at the Mercy Center, and at a local funeral home. She also began to take college classes in order to pursue a degree in music. Just when her musical ambitions seemed to be coming to fruition, John had a heart attack. Like it or not, Eileen knew it was time that she re-entered the workforce; she went back to the railroad. For the next sixteen years, (1976-1992) Eileen M. Hoen was “workin’on the railroad.” At first, they gave Eileen jobs not so well suited for a small 50- year- old woman. She walked the tracks in the train yard, at night, with a flashlight and a clipboard logging in rail cars. She did not scare easily; nor did she quit. Eventually, the work assignments got better, and she advanced to an office position. Eileen stuck with it, showing great courage and perseverance in doing so, and, in the end, retired with a railroad pension at the age of sixty-six. Retirement, although welcome, brought with it a new set of challenges. The house John and Eileen built to house their extensive family no longer met their needs. This fact became painfully evident after John‘s second heart attack and subsequent bypass surgery. Downsizing was in order, and after yet another transition period, they purchased a condominium in Plymouth and became parishioners at Our Lady of Good Counsel. For the first time since the first year of marriage, they were “empty nesters”. Eileen took great pleasure in playing her beloved piano, and also found time to knit Christmas stockings for each new grandchild. Retirement also afforded her additional time to be with, and care for, John as his health slowly deteriorated. In June 1998, just four days short of his 80th birthday, John died. After the death of her husband, Eileen continued, as always, to find solace in her faith, her family, and her music. She became active in number musical groups at Our Lady of Good Counsel including choir, the bell choir, and the resurrection choir. She also enjoyed taking part in a number of volunteer activities at church. Eileen participated weekly in the peanut-butter and jelly group from the time that it only served peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She also found time to embroider baptismal shawls. She began each day, usually around five in the morning, by reading her prayer book, and then followed up by praying for the many people included on her prayer list. Always a competitor, Eileen would test the mettle of any challenger playing SCRABBLE. Perhaps the highlight of each passing year, for Eileen, was leading the circle of prayer food blessing at the family Christmas gathering. She continued to play the piano until her final days and did so beautifully. Visitation will be held on Sunday from 3 pm until 8 pm at the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main Street, Plymouth where a scripture service will be held at 7 pm. Visitation will continue on Monday from 10 am until the time of the funeral mass at 10:30 am at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 47650 North Territorial Road ( at Beck Road ) Plymouth. Contributions are suggested to Angela Hospice, 14100 Newburgh Road, Livonia, MI 48154.