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Eileen R. Walker (Holmes), 74
1945 — 2019
On Oct. 3, 1970, Eileen R. Holmes married Gordon L. Walker in a small ceremony in Spokane, Wash. On the 49th anniversary of their marriage, Eileen joined Gordon in Heaven. Eileen passed away gently in her sleep at home after a yearlong battle with heart disease. Although we will miss her immeasurably, we know Heaven has gained a well-qualified angel.
Eileen was born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, 74 years ago, to Charles and Blanche Holmes. She loved Coeur d’Alene and often proclaimed it the most beautiful place on earth. She, along with her siblings — Janice, Kathy and Chuck — grew up near Lake Coeur d’Alene and enjoyed all the wonders of growing up in the ’50s in Northern Idaho. One of her favorite pastimes was to sit on a rock on Tubbs Hill and watch the lake. She married George English in 1962 and had two children, Donald and Laura. But alas, the marriage only lasted eight years. In Eileen’s own words, “our parents were right, we were too young.”
In 1970, while visiting Boise (again in her own words), “I met a wonderful, caring, handsome guy named Gordon, we fell in love, couldn’t afford the phone bills, so we decided to get married.” Eileen moved her family to Boise that year. She worked in women’s retail for a few years following the move, then worked in banking. But Eileen’s most rewarding job was her volunteer work as the vice president of the Idaho Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America, a disease which affected her for many years.
Eileen enjoyed a rich life with Gordon and their close-knit group of friends. In particular, they enjoyed their trips to Terrace Lakes, golfing and socializing. She enjoyed traveling with Gordon on vacations to Hawaii and other exotic locations like Chicago to watch the Cubs. Not to mention Eileen and Gordon were devoted Boise State Football fans. Eileen was known for her kind heart, wisdom and sense of humor. But, above all, Eileen loved being a grandmother and being known as “Gram” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Eileen is survived by her sister, Kathy Wilson; her children, Don English and Laura Post and Gordon’s children, Kim Gunn, Dave Walker and Sue Mikell. Eileen will join Gordon next to their friends, Larry and Rose Roberts, at Dry Creek Cemetery. If you stop by to visit them sometime and listen hard enough, you might hear the clink of a toast and a lot of laughter, as they catch up and reminisce about the good ol’ days.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the National Lupus Foundation of America (www.lupus.org) or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (www.bcrf.org).