Eileen Mary Malsch, age 103, passed away peacefully on April 12 in Newtown. Eileen was born on February 9, 1918, in Lowell, Mass., to Mary Ellen (Nellie) and (John) Joseph Murphy during the Spanish Flu pandemic. She was the youngest of six children.

She met the love of her life, Kenneth Vincent Malsch, just before the United States entered World War II. They dated briefly before Ken shipped off with the First Marines to the South Pacific. Their love only grew, and they married upon his return stateside on December 30, 1944. Eileen and Ken had six children, one of whom, Kevin Michael, died shortly after childbirth. Eileen was dedicated to her family. She was a busy homemaker, raising her five children while also taking care of her father, who lived with them for many years after Eileen’s mother passed away in August of 1945. She and Ken enjoyed traveling, especially to see their children spread across the United States map! Their cottage in Maine became a favorite gathering place over the years, with many a lobster cooked and enjoyed by all. Eileen was predeceased by Ken in 2004. She will be buried by his side at St Rose Cemetery in Sandy Hook.

Throughout her life, Eileen had an extraordinarily strong faith in God. Even into her twilight years, you would find Eileen sitting at Mass in the first pew of her beloved St Rose RCC beside her eldest daughter, Karen. One of her favorite ministries was the prayer shawl ministry at St Rose. You would often find Eileen sitting and knitting by her bedroom window at Walnut Tree Village in the afternoon sun.

Eileen leaves behind a loving family of her five children and their spouses: Karen & Russell Banks, Kenneth & Bonnie Malsch, Julie & Bill Buck, Eileen & Mark Peterson, and Maureen & Joseph Dooley. Eileen will always remain in the hearts of her devoted grandchildren and their spouses: Maggie & Sam Coons, Samantha Malsch, Philip and Maura Buck, Catherine and Chau Le, Amy and Joel Rowland, Scott and Lulu Handley, Patrick Dooley and Ying Wang, and Maureen Dooley. She is also survived by her adoring great-grandchildren: Fiona Buck, Catherine Krebs, Rudy and Eiler Rowland, Andrea Dooley and Elise Wang; and Clementine Coons and Golden Handley.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St Rose of Lima Church in Newtown, on Friday, April 23, at 11 am. Interment will follow in St Rose Cemetery. The funeral mass will be live streamed on the St Rose website (strosechurch.com/live-stream) for those of you who are unable to attend but who would like to join us in prayer. We understand that these are difficult times due to the present pandemic and we appreciate all your loving prayers for our mother, whether they be prayers said in the church or from afar in your homes.

Honan Funeral Home, honanfh.com, is coordinating the services for Eileen’s funeral. There will be no wake due to the pandemic and in lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in Eileen’s memory to the St Rose Church at osvonlinegiving.com/472/home/newquickgive — select Gifts and Bequests in the Fund drop-down — or to the St Rose School, 40 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470.

We will miss you terribly mom. We thank you for the strength of your faith example.

We ask for your continued prayers for us as we walk forward on our journeys through this life.

Thank you forever and always for being our loving mother, a caring Grammie to all our children, and an awesome great-grandmother.

May you find love and peace in the arms of our merciful savior.