Obituary of Eileen Carlyle

On Dec 24, 2018, Eileen Susan Gilligan McKeag Carlyle passed away at the age of 76 after her long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Eileen was born to Ed and Jane Gilligan on Dec 5, 1942 in Longview, WA. Many summers were spent visiting her grandparents on the Oregon Coast. Eileen graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in Winlock and attended the University of Washington where she met her husband, Richard McKeag. They lived in Seattle and later moved to Puyallup, raising 3 children: Colleen, Scott, & Ed. Eileen dedicated 25 years working as an office manager in the Puyallup School District, retiring in 2003 from Maplewood Elementary. Eileen then proceeded to enjoy traveling. She traveled to Ireland, England, France, Africa, & Italy. When she was not traveling the world, she took great joy in spending time with family, especially her grandchildren, Anna and Matthew. Eileen married Roger Carlyle in 2010. She enjoyed getting to know and love his many children and grandchildren. Winters were spent in Arizona where they enjoyed painting, playing cards, new friends, and exquisite Arizona sunsets. To Eileen, life was truly an adventure and she embraced it all. She possessed a strong will and had a great sense of humor, enjoying a good laugh or telling a lively story. In addition to her storytelling, Eileen was a writer. One of her recent accomplishments was publishing Mary’s Story, a collection of writings by her great grandmother. Eileen is preceded in death by her first husband Richard McKeag, her second husband Roger Carlyle, and brother Jim. She is survived by her children, Colleen (Dave) Johnson, Scott (Nichol) McKeag, Ed McKeag, and 2 grandchildren, Anna and Matthew. She is also survived by her brother Charlie (Kellie) Gilligan and nieces Joanne, Sara, Kathy, Caroline, Kirsten and nephews Kerry and Barry. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Good Samaritan Cancer Resource Center, 400 15th Ave SE Puyallup. Funeral will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2019, 11:00am at All Saints Catholic Church in Puyallup.