Eileen Mulholland Bardwil Passed away peacefully in Tacoma, Washington after a two-year battle with cancer. This was her second bout with cancer, as she was a breast cancer survivor dating back to 1998. She was a fighter and she died as she had lived. She was 81 years old. Eileen was born to Ellen and Patrick Joseph Mulholland May 16 , 1929 in Steubenville, Ohio. She was the oldest of 6 children. Eileen attended St. Francis College in Steubenville before moving to Washington D.C. and working for the F.B.I. It was there that she married John Bardwil, then an undergraduate at Georgetown University. They were married for 50 years until his death in 2002. Following John's graduation they moved to Texas where John enrolled in medical school at UTMB. It was there that Michael, their oldest of 4 children, was born. The birthplaces of the children could be used to track John's training and professional career, and the course of their lives in Texas. Elizabeth was born in Fort Worth during the internship. Paul was born in Dallas during John's residency. Mark, the youngest, was born in Houston, where John distinguished himself as a cancer surgeon. Eileen managed the home front, raising the four children while John was a busy surgeon in Houston. She will be remembered for her Irish wit, and her controversial stands. Again, she was a fighter. She was a devoted wife and mother. Her legacy was raising four successful children. Mike is a surgeon in Houston. Elizabeth teaches music at private all-girls school in Tacoma. Paul has his own business in Sacramento, California. Mark is a busy attorney in Tacoma, Washington. After raising their family, John and Eileen moved to Miles City, Montana, for the twilight years of John's career, and eventually to Olympia, Washington, where they retired. There they lived for the remainder of their lives. Mark recalls seeing Eileen her happiest while enjoying their island retreat the on Puget Sound. She was preceded in death by her husband John, whom she cared for in their home until his death in 2002. She is survived by her son Mike and his children Stephanie and Travis; her daughter Elizabeth and her son Nicholas; her son Paul and his daughter Ariel; and her son Mark, his wife Kim, and daughter Sophia. She is missed by family and friends. Private family services were held at Hartstene Point, Washington. Donations in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Published in The Olympian on September 23, 2011