Eileen C. Durkan (Cosgrove), 77, of Gettysburg, PA passed away on June 29, 2024 surrounded by her children.
Fittingly, Eileen’s passing came on the 55th Anniversary of her wedding to her beloved late husband, John, who predeceased her by one year.
Eileen is survived by her children, Eileen White (Christopher), Maureen Yagesh (Christopher), John, Jr. (Heather) and Kevin (Jacqueline). The self-described “proudest grandma ever” is also survived by her twelve grandchildren: Megan, Brendan, Grace, Devin, Katie, Claire, Johnny, Colin, Ryan, Emily, Thomas, and Teddy.
Eileen was born in Yonkers, New York on March 5, 1947. She was the daughter of Irish immigrants, Michael and Eileen Cosgrove (Boyle), and the sister of John and the late Michael, Thomas, and Kathleen (Hannon).
Eileen graduated from the University of Mount Saint Vincent in 1968 and began a career teaching elementary school in Yonkers. During that time, Eileen met the love of her life, married in 1969 and started her family.
In 1979, Eileen moved from Yonkers to Atlantic City, NJ. There, Eileen embarked on a successful career in residential real estate. With her genial personality and tireless work ethic, Eileen progressed from rookie agent to broker to eventually proudly owning her own namesake real estate agency.
Eileen was a member of both the Atlantic City and Atlantic County Board of Realtors and regularly won many awards including 1994 Realtor of the Year and annual membership in the Million Dollar Sales Club.
Eileen was also extremely active in the community as a member of the Junior League, a founding member of the Boardwalk Regents Club, Miss America Pageant Hostess Committee, and President of the PTA at St. Joseph’s Regional School.
After leaving Atlantic City in the mid-1990s, Eileen managed several real estate offices in New York and later Virginia.
During her retirement years, Eileen first lived in Lewes, DE where she was an active volunteer in Saint Vincent de Paul of the St. Jude the Apostle Church. Eileen recently came to the Amblebrook community in Gettysburg. A contributor to every place she ever lived, Eileen founded and staunchly supported the Amblebrook Lending Library. However, after coming to Gettysburg, Eileen’s primary focus was caring for her beloved husband as his health faltered.
Eileen loved to travel, and just last month completed a joyful cruise to Bermuda with her children to mark the first anniversary of John’s passing. In a Facebook post about the cruise, Eileen wrote “we laughed, we cried and we shared many happy memories.” Although none knew it at the time, it was truly the perfect goodbye. Eileen will be remembered by her family and many friends for her loving heart, kindness, sense of style, razor sharp wit and devotion.
Funeral mass will be held 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at St. Fracis Xavier Catholic Church, 25 West High St., Gettysburg, PA. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until the start of Mass.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.
