Sr. Eileen Smith, DHS
Sr. Eileen Smith, DHS, 103, a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, entered her eternal rest June 17, 2025, at St. Joseph Living Center in Windham where she was in residence since 2018.
Rose Eileen was born Dec. 31, 1921, in Attleboro, Mass., the daughter of the late Joseph A. and Rose (Soucy) Smith, the seventh of 15 children. She entered religious life in 1940 and made her religious profession on Aug. 20, 1945, at the Provincial House in Putnam. She was then known as Sr. Mary Joseph. She received a bachelor’s from Diocesan Sisters’ College in South Woodstock, and an LPN Certificate from Grassland School of Practical Nursing, Valhalla, N.Y.
Following her religious profession Sr. Eileen served in many varied ministries. She first taught in schools staffed by the Daughters of the Holy Spirit in Waterbury, and in Alabama.
Sr. Eileen was among the first groups of Sisters who went to Chile when the congregation opened missions in that country in 1963 at the request of the bishops of Chile. She served in Antofagasta and Chanaral, Chile from 1963-66 where she taught and visited the families in their homes. She returned to the U.S. and taught ESL classes at Annhurst College until 1969 at which time she took an LPN course at Grassland School of Practical Nursing in Valhalla. Upon completion of this in 1970, Sr. Eileen returned to Antofagasta and established a clinic there to care for the sick.
Returning to the U.S. in 1972 she worked as a nurse in Selma, Ala., and then at St. Clare Convalescent Home in Newport, R.I. She later ministered as a nurse under the Migrant Health Services in Hastings and Haine, FL and spent many summer months from 1974-76 among the migrants of the East Coast in Alabama, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina and Maryland. She returned to Antofagasta in 1976 and worked there as a nurse for another 10 years followed by a year at the clinic of the Haitian Health Foundation in Jeremie, Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere before returning to the clinic in Antofagasta, Chile. In 1994 she served as clinic nurse among the migrants of Painter, Vir., before retiring to the Provincial House in Putnam in 1995. She joined the community at St. Joseph Living Center in 2018.
She leaves the Daughters of the Holy Spirit spiritual family – her Sisters in community, the Consecrated Seculars and the Associate; many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her brothers Austin, Paul, Ralph, Joseph, Gerald, Noel, James and Thomas and by her sisters Marie, Ruth, Theresa, Janet, Claire and Sr. Mary Lou, DHS.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. July 1 at Corpus Christi Parish/St Joseph Church, 99 Jackson St., Willimantic, followed by burial in St. Mary Cemetery in Putnam at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: DHS Retirement Fund, P.O. Box 497, Putnam, CT 06260. Gilman & Valade Funeral Homes, 104 Church St., Putnam.
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