Eileen T. Fritsche, 94, of Northborough/Westborough

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Eileen T. FritscheNorthborough/Westborough – Eileen T. Fritsche passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 23,2023. Eileen previously mourned the passing of her husband Adolf (Al) Fritsche in 1991 and her youngest daughter, Katherine Nash in 2017.

She is survived by her sister Anne O’Shaughnessy, her children: Nancy Fritsche Eagan and her husband John Eagan of Brooklyn, NY, Robert Fritsche and his wife, Lynn of Carmel, IN, John Fritsche and his wife Betty Anne of Copiague, NY, Mary Fritsche of Douglas, MA, Andrew Fritsche of Holden, MA and son-in-law William Nash of Grafton, MA along with her 10 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren with another great-granddaughter on her way which Eileen was looking forward to meeting next month. She also leaves many nieces and nephews.

Mom was a devout Catholic and member of St Rose of Lima Parish in Northborough, MA for over 40 years. Mom was a strong believer in the power of prayer and the Rosary. She attended many retreats in Gloucester to enhance her faith with God and herself.

Born on January 24, 1929, in New York City, NY, Mom was the second of five siblings and the oldest daughter. She considered herself a tomboy to keep up with her two brothers, but you would never know that; she was as elegant as could be. Mom grew up visiting the Catskill mountains, the ocean at Rockaway and Jones beaches. She reminisced about picnics and nature walks, giving way to her love of nature. She earned a free scholarship to attend the prestigious Bishop McDonnell High School, attesting to how smart and determined she was – as it was over an hour commute, each way, to attend school via bus and subway from Queens to Brooklyn, NY.

Mom met our Dad in 1949, they were married on February 3, 1951, and soon thereafter began their family. They went on to have six children – three girls and three boys. Due to her husbands’ job as a salesman, she found herself moving often – Queens, NY to Somerset, NJ to Chillicothe, OH to Mt. Kisco, NY and finally settling in Northborough in 1978, where she resided over 40 years. Since 2018, Mom has enjoyed her residency at The Highlands of Westborough. Mom retired from NYNEX, after having also worked at Ohio University and New York Telephone. During her retirement years, she worked part-time in Tower Hill Botanical Garden’s gift shop. Mom truly loved working there and remained a member long after she truly retired.

Her interests included faithfully reading the Sunday edition of the New York Times every week, loving the game of Bridge – a game she learned to play while working at New York Telephone, and continued to enjoy her entire life, whether with Bridge groups at the Northborough Senior Center and at the Highlands at Westborough or even online.

Mom loved to travel and cherished her opportunities to do so. She fondly recalled her trip to Germany/Switzerland/Austria with Dad and cherished the opportunity to travel to Ireland with her siblings. Summer outings to Falmouth, MA with her girlfriends brought so much joy and laughter. So many memories were created on the excursion to France with her daughter and son-in-law, and so much more. She loved the ocean and her many road trips.

Mom loved to celebrate birthdays, especially her own! She loved to shop and her hats – what a collection. Always a 1st round pick for trivia teams, she was so smart. Lovingly known for blurting out answers, whether she was on your team or not – Mom just couldn’t help herself. She loved to laugh. Towards the later years of her life Mom shared that laughter with “the women” at “the table” at the Highlands. Jeopardy – she missed Alex Trebec – her love of watching a good golf tournament and being pretty darn good at predicting teams for the Final 4 every March.

A funny, kind, gentle soul left this world on August 23rd. – Mom was a wonderful wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandma, sister, aunt and friend – we will miss her so. She loved her children and was so proud of each of them. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought so much wonder and joy into her life.

We are grateful for the care that she received at the Christopher House (especially Lorna, who treated Eileen with such love) and the Notre Dame Hospice team for their commitment to her care. Thank you.

A calling hour will be held between 9:30AM and 10:30AM on Thursday, August 31, at Hays Funeral Home, 56 Main Street, Northborough. A Christian Mass of Burial will immediately follow at 11AM at St. Rose of Lima Parish, 244 W. Main Street, Northborough. Eileen will be laid to rest beside her beloved husband in Howard Street Cemetery, Northborough.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate in Eileen’s memory to either of the following:

New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill https://nebg.org or “Team Kathy’s Krew” for the upcoming October 1st Jimmy Fund Walk Cancer Fundraiser http://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/goto/billnash.

Eileen’s family takes comfort in the following from “Miles to Go”:

“Today, I feel more alive in every sense of the word. I can take the risk of learning and make mistakes. I don’t think in terms of age today, just looking forward to tomorrow. Can now understand the line from the poem; I have miles to go before I sleep.” Excerpt from Eileen T. Fritsche’s own Autobiography

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