Good Bye Eileen

This evening I said good bye to a woman who was a long time friend to my family....Eileen Maddex. She was the wife of a man my father worked with at MSU when I was just a young child. She and my mother became very good friends. She was my mother's godmother when she converted. After my father died at a young age, my mother went to work for her at the national headquarters of Omicron Nu, a home economics organization that Eileen headed. She had five sons and the youngest, Paul, was my age. He is a television producer in Jackson Hole, Wyoming now but he remembered me when I saw him this evening. I have a picture of Paul and I when we were quite young, 4 or 5 years old perhaps.
Eileen was a strong woman who was certainly ahead of her time. She was involved in many organizations and was always on the go even after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. She has done more traveling than anyone else I know. I think she thrived on always planning on and going places.
Eileen gave my former husband and I the use of her condo in Hilton Head after we were married. If it were not for her, I would likely have never gotten to visit Hilton Head, Charleston, and Savannah. That trip also gave me the opportunity to meet Jinny Beyer who was conducting a retreat at Hilton Head while we were there. I got to see a quilt show at the event and purchase Jinny Beyer fabrics too.
Eileen and her husband Bob let my family use their cottage on Birch Lake in Northern Michigan when I was very young. I remember catching a sun fish there and crying when it was gutted and cleaned for dinner.
Many of the special recipes my mother makes came from Eileen including a wonderful Chicken and Wild Rice dish that was always my favorite as a child, a yummy meringue coffee cake, potato crescent rolls, and others.
She always had a positive attitude and a big smile. She always made me feel very special when ever I saw her. She had a long and full life. She will be missed.




Eileen Callaghan Maddex Age 88 years old, from Haslett, East Lansing and Kewadin, MI. Born: April 18, 1921, Columbus, Ohio. Died: November 12, 2009 while visiting Seattle. Eileen Irene Callaghan was born in Columbus Ohio, in 1921, the eldest of five children. She attended Catholic school and graduated from Ohio State University in 1944. She met Robert L. Maddex at a Newman Club Friday the 13th "Jinx" Dance while attending Ohio State. After he returned from WWII they married in January 1946. She always said Friday the 13th was her lucky day. They moved to East Lansing Michigan in 1948 when Robert became a professor at Michigan State University. Eileen put her Home Economics degree to work early as a mother and homemaker and raised five sons; Doug, Greg, Jeff, Norm and Paul in Haslett, Michigan. In 1966 Eileen accepted the position of Executive Director of Omicron Nu, Inc. a National Home Economics Honor Society. Her professional career blossomed over the years due to her organizational, budget and management skills. Eileen regularly organized, planned and coordinated national conferences involving hundreds of attendees from across the country. She belonged to many social, religious and professional societies throughout her life. Eileen served on the executive board of directors of numerous organizations, including the Association of College Honor Societies, Haslett Women's Club, Michigan Lake & Stream Association, Birch Lake Association, Michigan State University Extension Wives Club, Haslett High School Parent-Teacher-Student Assn., Ingham County Home Association and many others. She'd often joked perhaps her tombstone should read "Board to death". In December 1977 when her husband Robert passed away Eileen's religion, faith and wonderful network of friends sustained her through her loss. In 1981 she married Harold Miller, of Haslett and they spent eight wonderful years together before Harold's death in 1989. They traveled often, spending part of each winter in Hilton Head S Carolina, and visiting family in Florida. Eileen enjoyed traveling and she regularly visited her children and grandchildren across the United States, to Alaska, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Europe. Throughout her life, Eileen's faith in God and the church was ever-present in all she did. Eileen was active in religious groups and at St. Johns Parish in East Lansing In the early 1990's Eileen was president of the Ingham County Home Association when a large donation made it possible to create a first-class senior housing complex in Haslett. Her experience soon landed her the position of Executive Director of the Ingham County Home Association where she headed a five year project to design, construct and operate Marsh Pointe, a 108-unit apartment complex for elderly seniors of moderate income. This was the crowning achievement to her successful and varied professional career. In April 2009, at 88, Eileen finally retired to spend more time with friends and family. She then traveled to Hilton Head, Traverse City, on a Caribbean Cruise and Seattle. Eileen passed away peacefully with family at her side on November 12, 2009. Eileen is predeceased by her siblings Robert Callaghan and Rita Ruddy, her husband Robert L Maddex, her grandson Eric Maddex, and her second husband Harold Miller. She is survived by her brother James Callaghan (Nancy) of Columbus Ohio; her sister Cecilia Knox (Jack) of Florida; sons Douglas Maddex (Mary) of Tampa Bay; Gregory Maddex of Rowland Heights, California, Jeffrey Maddex of Leadville CO; Norman Maddex (Marcella) of Seattle Washington; Paul Maddex (Bonita) Of Jackson, WY; 12 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.