Eileen Stahli

Eileen Charlotte Downing was born in Dallas on June 24, 1944 to Henry and Janice (Reed) Downing. As a young girl, she moved to Anthony, New Mexico, and attended Gadsden Elementary and High Schools. Though she moved out of state during her junior year, she remained close to the Class of ’62 and had many lasting friendships.

In 1960, Eileen and her family moved from Anthony ( population 1000) to Brooklyn, New York; quite a culture shock! There she met Richard Stahli in 1962 and they married on June 5, 1965. Together they raised two wonderful children – Christine and Richard, who brought them immeasurable joy. The family moved from New Jersey to Chicago, Boston, Switzerland and returned to Eileen’s birthplace in 1991. From 1982 to 2003, Eileen worked for Digital Equipment Corporation (which merged with Hewlett-Packard) and she retired as a Software Applications Trainer.

Eileen loved to travel, visiting over 60 countries, and often referred to herself as a “very lucky girl” for having experienced so much in her lifetime. Appropriately, Eileen and Richard celebrated their 50th anniversary in June with a Baltic cruise, along with Christine, Richard, Jr., Christine’s husband Jim and Richard’s fiancée Heidi.

Eileen passed away on December 22, 2015, having touched the lives of so many. A friend put it best when she sent the following message to her husband: “My heart will never be the same. I mourn for you and your kids. I mourn for me. My life will always be better because of her.”

A memorial service to celebrate Eileen's life will be held on Monday December 28, 2015 at 2:00PM at the Ted Dickey West Funeral Home. The family suggests that memorials may be made to The American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231