Eileen Faye Cihak

Eileen Faye Cihak entered heaven on August 22, 2015, in Seattle, Washington.  Eileen, who was a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend, will best be remembered by those who knew her as a source of comfort and encouragement to others with practical advice learned from life experiences.  Her sense of humor and genuine interest in others helped put friends and acquaintances alike at ease and brought many smiles in difficult times.  Eileen always believed in, trusted and respected every person she met, accepting them as they were.  Eileen passed a love of learning on to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  She will be missed by those who knew her well and those she barely knew but had a chance to visit.  Her family, friends, and caregivers will treasure good memories of moments and times talking and laughing with Eileen.

Eileen was born on November 3, 1933, in San Diego, California to Leon and Zeta Vercammen, where she learned to love and appreciate music. She frequently entertained her family and friends while playing the piano.  Eileen was chosen to become a member of the All-City Orchestra.  Her high school yearbook from Herbert Hoover High in San Diego notes her love of music and her desire to become a music teacher.  While in high school, she met her future husband, Richard Cihak, to whom she was married in 1952.  Eileen and Richard welcomed their three children, Cindy, Diane and David, into the world.

In 1962, the space program called many engineers and the family moved to Titusville, Florida, near Cape Canaveral.  Eileen continued to raise Cindy, Diane and David in Titusville during the exciting days of NASA rocket launches and space exploration. In 1973, as Cindy entered Baylor University, Eileen moved to Waco, Texas with Diane and David.  Once again, her ability to place people at ease in any circumstance helped as she worked at Providence Hospital as a night admissions administrator for many years.  After retirement, Eileen moved to Seattle, Washington, in 2002, where she lived until her recent death.

Eileen is survived by three children: Cindy Kling and husband John, of Snohomish, Washington; Diane Wharton and husband Tom of Carollton, Texas; and David Cihak and wife Tammy, of Bonney Lake, Washington. She is further survived by seven grandcildren and two great grandchildren; David Kling and wife Shawna and their sons Kiptyn and Brody, of Spokane, Washington; Emily Sannan and husband James, of Huntington Beach, California;  Sarah Wharton of Carrollton, Texas; Rachel Byers and husband Wil of Los Angeles, California; Hannah McKee and husband Jeremy of Riverside, California; Josh Cihak of Bellingham, Washington; and Megan Cihak of Bonney Lake, Washington.  Eileen is also survived by many friends and extended family members.

A memorial service will be held in Seattle on October 24. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children (www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org) or to a charity of your choice in her memory.