Eileen M. Sylvestre

Eileen M. Sylvestre, 90, of Summerhill Assisted Living, 183 Old Dublin Road, Peterborough, New Hampshire, died November 8, 2011 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for many years. She was born in Adams, Massachusetts, on January 26, 1921, the daughter of Thomas H. Kelly and Martha Muench Kelly. Eileen’s father was a boss dyer in several American Woolen textile mills. In her youth, she lived in Flint, Michigan, Hamilton, Ontario, Janesville, Wisconsin, and Gilsum, New Hampshire, before her family settled in East Templeton, Massachusetts. She graduated from Templeton High School in June, 1938. Later that year, she and her family saw their house in Templeton swept down the Otter River by the 1938 Hurricane. She met her future husband, Albert W. Sylvestre, at a Templeton High School – Gardner High School track meet in 1938. Eileen was managing the Templeton High track team and her future husband was running the 440-yard dash for Coach Bill Footrick’s Gardner High School track team. Their first date was on Christmas Eve, 1938. Eileen was working in the Bell Shop in Gardner, Massachusetts, which sold ladies’ lingerie, and Albert was managing the photography department of Leslie’s in Gardner. Albert had received a $5.00 Christmas bonus. He borrowed a car from a friend who was working at the Lafayette Square Garage in Gardner, and invited Eileen to dinner at the English Tea Room on Graham Street in Gardner. They continued dating for some time and were married in St. Martin’s Church in Otter River, Massachusetts on February 15, 1943. They could not be married on St. Valentine’s Day because it was a Sunday and the church did not allow weddings on Sundays. The day, however, was memorable. The temperature was 42 degrees below zero, and no one in the church removed his or her coat, including the bride. She converted to Catholicism and received her first communion on her wedding day. Eileen’s husband was serving in the Coast Artillery of the U.S. Army, and she followed him when he was assigned to Fort Church, Rhode Island, Bailey Island, Maine, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Camp Shelby, Mississippi. After her husband was shipped overseas, Eileen settled in East Templeton. After World War II, Eileen worked in Palmer’s Jewelry Store in Gardner, which later became Stanley’s Jewelers, until 1971, when she left to work in the library at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School in Westminster. While at Monty Tech, she successfully completed several continuing education courses at Fitchburg State College. She retired from Monty Tech about 1983. Eileen spent many happy summer days on Queen Lake in Phillipston, where she and Albert had a camp. She enjoyed fishing, boating and canoeing. She was an expert in counted cross stitch and some of her work was exhibited at the Jaffrey Civic Center. For many years, Eileen and Albert made their home in South Ashburnham, Massachusetts. About 1987 Eileen and Albert moved from South Ashburnham, Massachusetts to Rindge, New Hampshire, where they lived for a number of years. One of their more notable adventures in Rindge was the experience of being without power for 3 weeks during the 2008 Ice Storm. She leaves her husband of 67 years, Albert W. Sylvestre, also of Summerhill Assisted Living in Peterborough, New Hampshire, a niece, Maureen Donegan, of Molalla Oregon, a nephew, James Bevis, of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, and a cousin, Patricia Coutu, of Norwich, Connecticut. She was fortunate to receive loving care at Summerhill Assisted Living and from two friends and caregivers, Mary Lou Miley of Peterborough, and Jean Raymond of Jaffrey.

An interment will be at a later date at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Winchendon, Massachusetts.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School, 1050 Westminster Street Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420.

There will be no calling hours.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. in the Monadnock Room of Summerhill Assisted Living at 183 Old Dublin Road in Peterborough, New Hampshire.