Eulogy for
Eileen Mae Kazarian, a woman with a Heart of Gold
Eileen
Mae Kazarian passed away in her home in Santa Rosa on December 20th,
2011. This unexpected death has made
these times even harder on her friends and loved ones. The youngest of four, Eileen was born on
April 21st, 1961 to parents of Barbara and Hamo Kazarian. She lived in San Francisco as a young child
and than her family moved to Novato where Eileen spent her childhood and teen
years.
Her childhood friend, Angela Eggleston
said, “I loved watching Eileen walk her giant Great Dane named Kona down the
street, seeing such a little girl walk a big dog was very entertaining to
watch.” Eileen had a very big heart when
it came to animals, any pet she had was always treated as one of the family.
Something Eileen would always talk about
with the biggest smile on her face, was when she was 11 years old she got
herself into a National Hula Hoop Contest and she won 1st place
for under 11’s. She would always talk
about how great it felt to win and how much she prized her certificate that she
received during the award ceremony. A feeling she would never forget and at 50
years old she was still Hula Hooping as if she was a little girl, her favorite
trick was hula hooping around her neck.
Eileen attended Novato High School,
class of 1979. There she made many
friends that she would have for a lifetime.
Her 30 year class reunion was in 2009 and for months after she talked
about how much fun she had and how happy she was to have come back in contact with
her childhood friends. When her
friends talk about Eileen’s High School years they all say how she was always
the life of the party and that she was funny, outgoing and most of all straightforward. Angela Eggleston told Eileen’s daughter, “Your mom was always a very up front and
honest woman and I had much respect for her.”
Something Eileen used to say was that she
could go a long period of time without talking to her friends but when every time
they were reunited it’s as if there was no absence between them. Another childhood friend, Kristi Fritze wrote
on Eileen’s Facebook Wall recently, “I am so
saddened to hear this news. I, too, was friends with Eileen from school and had
just reconnected with her on facebook. She was so sweet and personable after
not hearing/talking to me for many a decades. I was so glad that she remembered
me. My thoughts and prayers go out to her daughters and granddaughter who she
told me about proudly the first time we chatted. She said you were all her
life. What a wonderful woman the good lord has brought back home to him.” Most people could meet Eileen once and would
never forget her because of strong personality and not to mention she had this
rocker type hair that was unforgettable.
Eileen lived by a very clear-cut
philosophy; live, laugh and love. And
that’s exactly what she did day in and day out.
There is no way that Eileen’s fulfilling life could be easily summarized
in a couple pages so let’s focus on what she loved most about life, which was
being a devoted mom and loving grandma.
Eileen has two daughters she loved with all her heart, the oldest, Heather
Eileen Friedle (24), and the youngest, Ashley Mae Kazarian (22). They say pictures are worth a thousand words
but words couldn’t describe the eternal love in Eileen’s eyes when we look at
her pictures today. She truly gave her all and made sure her kids were always
happy.
Ashley Mae Kazarian, the youngest
daughter says, “My mom has and always will be the most amazing women I have
known. The things that stood out most
about my mom were her strength and beauty. For me my mom was my heart, my everything, and
most of all she was the best mom in the world.
My life will never be the same but I will always carry all the best
memories my mom and I shared together. I
love and miss you so much mom.”
Ashley is Eileen’s youngest and they
were more than just mother and daughter, they were best friends on their good
days and they were catty sisters on their bad days, but at the end of the day
the amount of love that they have for each other is what people wish for their
whole life.
If she could, Eileen would talk to someone all
day about her kids. Eileen had a very
young soul and that’s what made her such a great mother. She was able to relate to her kids on many
different levels while being there for them through their hard times in life. She had a very special relationship with her
daughters and was so proud of them in different ways.
Eileen recently became a Grandmother on
May 1, 2010 and loved every minute of it.
From the minute that JoElle was born to the last day JoElle spent with
her Grandmother they had this special playful connection that no one else had
with JoElle. The way their faces light
up when they saw each other was such a gift to see. Eileen called JoElle her little “Butterfly”
and every time JoElle says butterfly it feels like Eileen is there with her saying
it. All Eileen wanted to do was teach
JoElle and all JoElle wanted to do was learn from her Grandma. It is sad that JoElle lost her Grandmother at
such a young age, but JoElle will remember her Grandma every time she opens books
they used to read together or every time JoElle plays with chalk on the
sidewalk and whenever JoElle runs through the sprinklers.
Jeff Faverio, Eileen’s partner for 18
years, will miss all the times they have had together as a couple. Eileen always bragged about what a great man
she had and that he was her best friend and also lover. They enjoyed doing many
things together, but they mostly focused on their beautiful garden where they
grew everything from tomatoes to chilies to artichokes. Jeff and Eileen also enjoyed sitting outside
at night barbequing and looking up at the stars, just talking away for
hours. He will miss her deeply, but she
will always be your “Sweet-E.”
