Eileen Margaret Brennan died at home April 15, 2019, in Bar Harbor, Maine, at the age of 91.
She was born in Iowa City, Iowa. She graduated from White Plains High School in White Plains, New York, and earned a Bachelor of Science from St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree in special education from George Mason University. During her lifetime she was a religious education director in Unitarian Universalist churches and a gifted elementary school educator.
She loved the Berkshires and made her home in Sheffield for 30 years. There she led the innovative Ashley Falls Program for third- and fourth-graders within the Southern Berkshire Regional School District. Children thrived in this alternative classroom where her loving acceptance of children and curiosity about learning were infectious. She encouraged children and generously shared her love of music and art. Beyond her own classroom, Eileen enriched the musical experiences of many students. She played recorder for the Mount Everett Madrigal Singers and collaborated with Nancy Loder on the elaborate Madrigal Feast events. Together they trained with the Metropolitan Opera company to work with younger students on the production of operas that were written and performed by the young children.
When she was 80, she was encouraged by her daughter Bronwen Day to relocate to Bar Harbor. There she made a rich new life for herself. She continued to play music and taught at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ellsworth. She touched many people with her generous and loving spirit, and she greatly valued her relationships with family and friends over her lifetime.
A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, June 8, 2019, at 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire, 1089 Main St., Housatonic. Gifts in Eileen’s memory can be made to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ellsworth, Maine. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
