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Eileen was killed on July 13, 1976, the summer after our first year out of high school. She was sitting at a stoplight on her motorcycle when she was hit by a drunk driver.
Eileen attended Holy Family. Caprice Crutcher (Annette Sanders) remembers that Eileen's mother was hispanic and her father Irish - hence the Toomey name and yet an amazing olive complexion and beautiful dark hair.
If you have additional details you would like to add about Eileen's life or her death, or any corrections, please add your memories below or send us an email.
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Karen Kincel
JUST SIGNED UP FOR THIS WEB SITE. HAVE BEEN OUT OF TOUCH FOR SO LONG. WHEN I WENT TO THE 20 YEAR REUNION I NEEDED MY TWIN TO REMIND ME WHO WAS WHO. I REGET THAT TODAY. WE ALL LIVED VERY IMPORTANT YEARS TOGETHER AND APART. EILEEN AND I WERE CLOSE FRIENDS IN HIGH SCHOOL WHILE I WAS THERE AND THEN I MOVED THE DAY AFTER GRADUATION TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. (WANTED TO SEE KATHI GRADUATE). I AM SORROWFUL FOR THE WORLDS LOSS OF EILEEN. SHE HAD A PURE HEART, A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR AND REALLY KNEW WHAT FRIENDSHIP MEANT EVEN AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. I REALIZE NOW, 30+ YEARS LATER. SHE IS BLESSED AND IN A BETTER PLACE BUT I FEEL FOR THOSE WHO KNEW HER, SHOULD HAVE KNOWN HER AND MOSTLY HER FAMILY. SHE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AGAIN BY ME.Virginia Burden (Derossi)
Karen, thanks for that memory of Eileen.Beginning in eight grade she became my best friend. We were inseparable; she was my partner in crime. It was very hard to leave her when I moved after sophomore year. I am eternally grateful to Frank Bales for calling me to let me know about her death. Mike it was a nice tribute to see her memorial of the last reunion.
Eileen and I were both raised by strict families and as such we traded off being grounded. Although I always loved being with Eileen I remember one time that I was so glad that I had attended a weekend trip with my family instead of hanging out with Eileen and our group.
There was a bridge we thought was very ugly, so we decided we would paint it one Saturday night. I found out on Friday that I had to be away, so Eileen and Caprice decided to paint it alone (Maura where were you?). They were smoking (cigarettes) and listening to music as they painted flowers and phases about love, when they were surrounded by 5 (all) South Pas cop cars. They were taken to the police station and had to be picked up by their parents. Eileen's dad was out with the car, so her mom had to walk from her home near Holy Family to the police station. When I called her home Sunday night to see how the weekend went, her mother wouldn't let me talk to "the convict". Holy hell was I ever lucky that I wasn't there. I'd probably still be grounded.
Now David, Frank, Don and Caprice (Annette) you need to tell the story about how Eileen and I left Holy Family's youth group meeting to join you at Elephant.
Virginia Burden Derossi
Caprice Crutcher (Annette Sanders)
I don't remember exactly when I met Eileen but it was in junior high. Virginia, Maura, Eileen and I were always together. We shared so much and went through just about everything a junior high kid goes through... angst over the too strict or too lax parents, boys, gym class (I was a Mustang!), movies, music, clothes, smoking, drinking, and yes, painting bridges... Yes, Virginia you were very lucky to be away that weekend! Your sister would have grounded you into the next century! Maura was there - it was the three of us - Maura, Eileen and me. We had candles burning, a boom box, and lots of paint. I think we got more paint on us than the bridge! By the way, it was the bridge just off of Fair Oaks by the Baskins Robbins. All we wanted to do was cover up the obscenities with flowers and peace signs and hearts. :) We didn't even hear the police come up behind us. I'm sure they were stifling laughter and grins. Officer Morris made quite an impression - especially when he pulled Ray over the following week and I was in the back seat. Talk about embarassing to have him shine his light on my face and say, "You again?" Ouch.Eileen was grounded and never allowed to speak to me again. Well, that didn't last long. Mrs. Toomey finally got past it. **sigh** And, of course it was all my fault. Eileen and I drifted apart once we got into high school - I was doing the drill team thing but I wil always remember her as a great friend with a great sense of humor and of sense of herself. We had some great times and I'm sorry to have not stayed in touch. It was a great privilege to have known Eileen and I will cherish the memories forever! Caprice Crutcher (aka Annette)
Jana Corteway (Friedrich)
Eileen, Liz Madigan and myself were a set of 3 Muskateers...I still have The Songs of Paul Simon music book that she gave to me for my 17th birthday where she wrote: "Jana- Well, we've been through alot but I can tell that we've only begun. We're one in the same, sharing today and hopefully many more! I love you and be a good girl just like me! (04-26-74) Eileen and Liz always encouraged my singing and boy did we have some times! Hanging out at her boyfriend Bill and Tim Mays house...singing A Most Peculiar Man and America, both Paul Simon...she was there for me in Times of Trouble...when I left SP in April 1975 never thought it would be the last time I would see her...it still hurts...I was living in Salinas with Howie Gerletti in a little, drab one bedroom apt on the wrong side of town, but all we could afford and/or find at the time...our telephone was hung on the wall by the door to the single car garage when I got the call, I believe by Sandy Hilton (we hung with an older crowd)...We couldn't make it to SP for the funeral, all we had to for reliable transportation was his '75 Honda motorcycle...The song America has always been special to me, the song connected us...a couple of years after her death Howie rented me a piano for my birthday..was never really great at piano playing despite my Grandmother having been a music teacher and playing since first grade, always preferred singing...I never had closure till then, playing one day something made me play America and the dam finally broke and I accepted that she was gone, had always been able to just think of her not being around, busy...later, in 1989 we had a big earthquake up here...I was working full time in a medical office, doing the billing and delivering pizza part-time in the evening for extra dough...ha ha...it was the first time that an earthquake frightnened me, my apartment was temporarily condemned...my and my cats (yeah yeah) had to go stay with a friend, where I was when the earthquake happen oddly enough and I had to go back to work delivering pizza. I was so emotionally raw and scared and while on the way to report to work the radio station played America! This is not a song one hears often on the radio and I knew that it was Eileen saying it was okay,don't be scared...I had to pull over and park. This is one of the most emotional memories I have of Eileen and have never stopped remembering, thinking of her...Jenete (Jae) Etchart
Eileen's death was a very sad day for me.I knew Eileen just about all her life. We went to Holy Family together and she was in my class. My most fond memories were in High School with the Tri High Y Group that we belonged to. Talk about fun, we just didn't have meetings we had parties that we called meetings for our parents sake. But we also did a lot of good with car washes, Valentines Day with the carnation flower sells at school, Beach Boy concert and camping at Camp Fox on Catalina...Eileen was so full of energy and excitement. If needed she could bring out the attitude when someone was dishing her garbage. She had strong self esteem and loved to laugh and joke around with friends. I remember seeing her the day before her death at Thifty's Drug Store parking lot and I was with Phyllis Elliott and we were going somewhere and didn't take the time to say hi to Eileen because I stated "I will probably see her tomorrow and I will say hi then". As you know tomorrow never came and I can't take that day back. Since that day I have always taken time to say hi to those who cross my path.
Caprice Crutcher (Annette Sanders)
Jenete! I remember one trip to Y Camp Fox on Catalina!!! We were having so much fun until Eileen had to be airlifted off the island for home for appendicitis! Wow, that was also the year I got stuck on the hillside and they had to send someone down with a rope, ripped my pants and had to sit all the way home on the boat! Haven't thought of that in years. It was so much fun to hang out with Eileen! She was one wild and crazy chick! Wish we had stayed friends in high school... The memorial this weekend at the all-year reunion was so emotional and healing. I know you felt the love, Eileen! Miss you, girl!Frank Bales
Ginger, yes we did have fun at Elephant hill...but I'm not telling about the activities! I too went to Holy Family and Eileen was one of the kids that was nice to me. Just so people know, the woman who ran over Eileen was not only drunk but this was the SECOND time she killed someone while driving drunk. She was also uninsured but also a welfare recipiant so Eileen's family didn't receive any compensation for their loss nor any help with funeral and burial expenses. That really sucks big time.
When Eileen got her motorcycle, she couldn't wait to tell me all about it and wanted me to see it right away! She was very excited with that bike and of course asked me to help her maintain it. Unfortunately, she didn't live long enough to have me service the new pride and joy of her life. Eileen was a truly sweet young lady and is missed by all who knew her.