Milly Eagan Obituary (1925

The world is a little less bright since cancer extinguished the light of Milly Eagan on March 15th, 2008 at 82 years young. She is leaving her large family and many friends a wealth of memories through her sense of humor, caring, support, stories, the Mariners, gardening, cooking, cribbage, and her ability to make the ordinary special. She generously shared her willingness to "be involved" as well as her tremendous management skills with community organizations throughout her life. Milly Eagan's life made a difference. Mildred Jane Roh was born in Abie, Nebraska on October 18, 1925, the ninth of eleven children of Mary (Shimerka) and Joseph Roh. She was the daughter of a banker until the Depression closed those doors and her family spent the next several years on the farm. It was probably there that she became familiar with 4-H, gardening, food preparation and preservation, and thriftiness -lessons that grew old with her. She graduated from high school in Abie then relocated to Wahoo, Nebraska with her father and brother after her mother died. Milly met James Eagan on a blind date and they married on June 18, 1949. However, she first had to agree to move cross-country after he received his Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Nebraska because he knew he was going to work for a particular Seattle-based aircraft company. They moved west in 1951 with their two baby girls eventually settling in Des Moines, WA and adding seven more children to the family. Christmas plays, family water fights, picking up rocks, folding diapers, backyard ball, home sewn clothes, Saturday hamburgers & TV night, board games, neighborhood carnivals, symphony concerts, drive-in movies, and going to church were some of the Des Moines era memories. This energetic mom was very busy with her children's activities, St. Philomena Catholic Church and building support for schools. After twenty years Jim and Milly moved to the log house acreage at Lake Tapps, northeast of Sumner. With seven of their nine children still at home, she continued the activities of a fulltime mom, wife, "Crazy Lady," and church member while also beginning her involvement with the 4-H program. First a local volunteer, supporting her children's interest in raising 4-H animals, she eventually became the Western Washington State 4-H Fair Manager at Puyallup, serving over 3, 500 youth statewide for 15 years. "Best manager I ever met!" according to Jim who, as part of Boeing management, would know. The 4-H program was the perfect vehicle to promote her belief that our youth deserve a wide variety of opportunities to succeed. Her energy and efforts were always directed toward what was best for the kids and figuring out ways to do it and do it right. Her thirty years of leadership and contribution to the youth of Washington was recognized many times but she was most overwhelmed by her selection as one of the first 100 inductees to the state's 4-H Hall of Fame in 2001. Milly remained involved in state and county 4-H programs after Jim and she retired in 1989 and the new "empty-nesters" moved to Kingston, Washington. She planned her family visits and world travels around state and Kitsap County fairs and Presentation Judging events. Milly valued her friendships wherever she was and here she thoroughly enjoyed the people in the neighborhood, TOPS, The Crazies, and St. Catherine's Guild and St. Olaf's/St. Peters parishes. This special lady left this world cherishing her loved ones. As daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, family was her priority. The loss of Milly Eagan is deeply felt by Jim, her husband of 58 years; daughters: Ellen (& Allen) Garr of Colville, WA, Shirley Rogers and Marianne (& Tom) Brooke both of Poulsbo, Jean (& Bob) Gillespie of Wenatchee, WA, and Sharon Eagan (& Brad Buckwalters) of Brooklyn, NY; sons: Jim (& Becky) Eagan and Brian (& Lauren) Eagan of Auburn, WA, Dave (& Robin) Eagan of Redondo Beach, CA, and Patrick (& Karen) Eagan of Pueblo, CO; 15 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren: Chris, Jeff (& Laura, Aaron, Ryan, Ava), & Lisa Garr; Chad & Bryan Rogers; Caitlin & Luke Gillespie; Jim (& Yee, Brady) & Joey Eagan; Zoey; Christian Tazzi (Daemon), Jewel Carr, Peyton & Brice Eagan; Nick & Matthew Brooke; her brothers: Vic (& Milly) Roh of Albuquerque, NM, Joe (& Alice) Roh of Tecumseh, NE, and Rev. Ray Roh of San Luis Obispo, CA; sisters: Irma Drahota of Fremont, NE, and Alice Clinkenbeard of Cedar Bluffs, NE: and many extended family members across the country. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Olaf's Catholic Church in Poulsbo on Friday, March 28th at 11 am. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers Milly requested that donations be made to Puget Sound Blood Center http://www.psbc.org/gifts/giving.htm or St. Vincent de Paul, Attn: Denise Agee, 1137 Callow Ave. N, Bremerton, WA 98312 (In Memory of Milly Eagan). The family thanks Dr. Winter and the tremendous staff of the Oncology Unit of Harrison Med. Ctr./Bremerton. The quality care, sincere concern, and infinite patience were deeply appreciated by Milly and all the Eagans.