Eileen J. Garnett

Eileen was a proud native Midwesterner, born in Kansas City, Missouri to George and Marian Jones on Feb. 25, 1939. After graduating Bishop Hogan High School in 1957 and attending junior college, she worked as a bookkeeper for the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City. She was instrumental in establishing the National Catholic Reporter, a now global Catholic news source. In 1967, she married her longtime friend, Stanley C. Garnett. They planned a whirlwind wedding in a matter of weeks before departing to Kenya for Stan’s assignment with Catholic Relief Services. They shared many adventures and welcomed their first child, Brian, before returning to the U.S. and moving to Annandale in 1971.

Eileen had two more children, Megan and Matt, in Annandale. And it was in her new home city that Eileen immersed herself in family responsibilities and community activism. She took every opportunity to help others, devoting countless hours to farmer’s markets, library book sales, neighborhood watch, election polling centers, Meals on Wheels, clothing drives, and food pantries. She held numerous roles with her children’s schools and activities, from swim team volunteer to PTA president. And she was an active member of the Broyhill Crest Community Association, taking pride in personally welcoming new residents to the neighborhood and supporting social gatherings to strengthen community. In the early 1990s, she continued to leverage her local activism by working as the administrative assistant to the Mason District Supervisor.

Eileen’s passion, however, was beautifying and revitalizing downtown Annandale. She was a founding member of the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee which is focused on revitalization and responsible development. She served in several roles including Chair of both the Annandale Beautification and Code Compliance Committees. One of her committee’s notable achievements was Toll House Park, a pocket park developed as the focal point of Annandale’s commercial district. She remained actively involved and was still serving as one of the Committee Chairs.

Eileen received several honors for her exceptional volunteerism and impact. These awards included Lady Fairfax honoree (1986, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors), Citizen of the Year (1991, 1998, 2002, Annandale Chamber of Commerce) and Community Champion (2007, Volunteer Fairfax). The community benefited greatly from Eileen’s dedication, but she never lost focus on her family, friends, and neighbors. She took a genuine interest in all whom she encountered and had a remarkable memory for the details of their lives. She was the family historian, caretaker, and CFO. Stan was her “Clyde” and she his “Pearl.” They visited the world together and filled their home with travel tales and treasures. Eileen was an avid news follower, expert pie baker, prolific card sender, liberal confetti user, happy birthday song singer, blurry photo taker, Ziplock bag re-user, post-it note lover and – above all – a difference maker. We will miss Eileen terribly for all things great and small. While we mourn her immeasurable loss, we also celebrate her extraordinary life well lived.

Eileen is preceded in death by her sister, Pat, and her grandson, Quinn. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Stan; her three children Brian (Jennifer), Megan, and Matt (Kimberly); and four grandchildren, Riley, Jake, Adelina, and Bo.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Arlington, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored by donations in Eileen’s name to St. Joseph’s Parish in Medor, Haiti through the Our Lady Queen of Peace website. Donations will support their school’s lunch program.