Eileen was born July 2nd, 1927 in Portland, Oregon, to Harold and Esther Taylor. She lived on Barker Road (which is now 162nd Avenue in the Lynch area). Eileen attended Lynch Grade School and graduated from Gresham High School in 1945. She then entered the Cadet Nurses Corp at Emmanuel Hospital, and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1948.
Eileen then worked in hospitals for several years. She became the Head Nurse at David Douglas High School, and she worked there for 26 years until she retired in 1988.
In 1949, Eileen married Marion (Zeke) Ferris and they had four beautiful children; Anne Tatlock, Howard Ferris, Sue Ferris, and Lisa Ferris. In 1982, Zeke and Eileen divorced.
Eileen went to her 40th class reunion in 1985 (the first time she ever went to a class reunion). There, she re-met Scott Cunningham, who had lost his first wife Joyce Cunningham in 1983 due to a heart attack. They started dating soon after and they continued to date for 18 months until March 21st, 1987, when they married. They went to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico for their Honeymoon while she was on Spring Break from David Douglas High school.
Scott convinced Eileen to retire so they could see some of the country. Eileen retired in 1988, and they started traveling. They visited all of the states except Michigan and New Mexico. They also visited New Zealand and Australia, nine European Countries, and Victoria, Canada.
Eileen and Scott spent nearly ten years visiting Eileen’s Brother Ken in Honolulu, Hawaii. Scott and Eileen would spend the month of February in the Ihiki Hotel on the beginning of the Waikiki Beach with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. They would make this trip to Honolulu until Eileen went on oxygen in 2013. Scott and Eileen lived in Summerplace for 27 years and now reside at Fairlawn Village in Gresham.
Eileen is survived by her husband, Scott; her four daughters, Anne Tatlock, Sue Ferris, Lisa Ferris, and Lisa Ann Garcia; and her son, Kenneth. She is also survived by her two sisters, Dorothy Johnson, and Carol and her husband Wayne; and her brother, Ken; 12 grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren. She was preceded in passing by her parents, Harold and Esther Taylor, and her son, Howard Ferris.
A Memorial Service is planned for Saturday, June 4th, 2016, at 2:00 pm at Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church located on 223rd between Halsey and Sandy Boulevard. In lieu of flowers, donations in Eileen’s honor can be made to Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church or to your favorite charity.
A private burial will take place at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Gresham.
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