Eileen Fitzpatrick
Longtime Gary Drug employee
Eileen Fitzpatrick lost her courageous battle with pancreatic cancer on Dec. 18, 2014. She passed away surrounded by close family and friends who loved her deeply.
The youngest daughter of seven children, Eileen was born to Dorothy and Thomas Fitzpatrick on April 3, 1957, in West Hempstead, N.Y. She was predeceased by her parents and an older brother, Thomas Fitzpatrick Jr. She is survived by five remaining siblings, Kathleen Dawkins, Susan Kross, Gail Bray, Michael Fitzpatrick and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Eileen moved to Boston in 1975 to attend Boston State College and remained in the city for the rest of her life. She attended many Red Sox games, and would never pass up a Dropkick Murphys Show. She was a true Bostonian.
In December of 1984, Eileen had her first and only child, Thomas Savage, her pride and joy. Everyone on the Hill knows Tom very well, as he also worked with Eileen at Gary Drug Co. over the years. He is also a well-known dog walker in the community. Tom was always the apple of her eye, and they were extremely close. He always made her very proud, and she enjoyed telling stories of her son and all of his great accomplishments. The topic of Tom alone would always put a huge smile on her face. There are no words to explain the true bond and admiration that Eileen and Tom had for each other.
An avid traveler, Eileen wanted to live life to the fullest and explore the world. But her heart was always in St. Croix, where she met her partner, Michael Platt. She would visit yearly with her two best friends, whom she met in the late ‘70s, Tim Stein and Wayne Fette. Eileen, Tim and Wayne were the “three amigos,” with a lifelong friendship that took them through decades of laughs, memories, milestones and jokes. She absolutely loved them dearly.
Eileen was the life of the party, and her smile would bring a light to every room she entered. She was always welcoming and kindhearted and wanted to make everyone happy. She told stories like no one else could, and everyone just wanted to be near her positive, beautiful energy. She gained satisfaction in being there for others and giving all that she possibly could. Any Gary Drug customer, and especially the regulars, would attest to that.
Eileen began working at Gary Drug in 1976 – first, as a clerk, and remaining on as a manager for as long as she could, even after she was diagnosed. In addition to Tom, Eileen worked for years with her sister, Gail, and niece, Danielle. Their long hours working in the pharmacy with owners Herman and Dan Greenfield, and with Rich Lane and other long-term employees, always helped give Gary Drug the feeling of a close family establishment, as well as being Beacon Hill’s only independent pharmacy.
Words cannot express what she meant to her family and friends and every life she touched. She was a beautiful soul whose life was taken far too soon. She was a fighter who refused to give up and wanted to live life as much as she could. She was an amazing role model and lived her life in a manner most of us strive to accomplish. She will be missed by many and never be forgotten, as she will forever live in all of our hearts and memories.
There will be a celebration of Eileen’s life on Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Hill House (127 Mount Vernon St., Boston) from noon until 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to GLAD, 30 Winter St., Boston, MA 02108.