Helena Cassidy

Eileen Brennan Cassidy passed away peacefully this past Tuesday in Newport, Rhode Island at the age of 71. Members of her immediate family were close by and with her during her final days and months. The daughter of Kathleen and Lawrence Brennan, she was born in Clogh, County Kilkenny, Ireland on January 26, 1945 - the second of eight siblings. Eileen immigrated to the United States in her late teenage years to New York City where she worked in advertising and where she met her husband of 48 years, Joseph Cassidy, also an Irish immigrant from County Sligo. Joe and Eileen Cassidy settled in Greenwich, Connecticut where they raised four daughters who are currently living in Boston, New York and Rhode Island. In her last months, she and Joe moved to Portsmouth, Rhode Island to be closer to family. Throughout her life, Eileen was a generous woman with a radiant sense of humor and most of all, a strong devotion to her family. She loved gardening, home improvement projects, walks in the neighborhood and most of all, being a caring wife to her husband and devoted mother to her children. She paid special attention to her five grandchildren who will always remember her as a loving, kind, funny and lighthearted grandmother. While she relished her life in America, her connection to Ireland endured throughout her life and she visited family and friends often. One of the first members of her family to immigrate to the United States, she and Joe always took special care and provided assistance to family members newly arrived from Ireland. Her Irish roots were best represented at a recent Rhode Island Irish music festival when her shouts of "Up Kilkenny!" could be heard over a quiet crowd.Eileen is survived by her husband, four daughters - Theresa, Kathleen, Sharon and Deirdre her five grandchildren, Joseph, Ashley, Keira, Brennan, and Ronan and her six surviving brothers and sisters and their countless family members. She has moved on to a special and peaceful place and we can take solace in knowing that while Eileen will be sorely missed, the memories of her and her lasting impact on others will never be forgotten. We love you always.