Eileen (Aileen) (Hayes) Heckart, 96, passed away peacefully at the Apple Rehabilitation Center in Middletown on Friday, November 2, 2018 to be with our Lord. She is now reunited with her beloved husband, Jean, who passed away in 1977.

Eileen was born in Middletown on July 29, 1922 and lived her entire life in the South Farms section of town.  She was the daughter of Catherine (Quirk) and Patrick Hayes.  Family meant everything to our mom.  She leaves to mourn her loss, her daughters, Patricia Guire Zaprzalka and her husband Thomas of Middletown, CT and Kathlyn and her husband William Weiss of Middletown, RI along with her most precious grandchildren, Matthew Guire and Houston and Katie Weiss as well as several nieces and nephews.   Eileen was predeceased by her brothers, Robert, James and Albert, her sister and best friend, Margaret Suprynowicz and her sister in law, Evelyn Tynan, with whom she had a special bond.

Our mom's Irish heritage and Catholic faith were extremely important to her. She was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church where she received all of her sacraments and was a member of the Ladies Guild.  During the Depression, she and her brothers and sister pedaled The Middletown Press to put food on the table.  As her three brothers were fighting in WWII, she joined the USO participating in many shows and dances to entertain the troops.  She worked for 20 years at the Wilcox and Crittenden Company as a bookkeeper leaving in 1960 to raise her daughters.  Eileen went back to work in 1977 as a part time bookkeeper for Mid-Town Tire where she worked for 10 years.  Her greatest dream was to be a School Teacher.  At age 65, she applied to a position at the Neighborhood Pre-School on the Wesleyan University campus. To her surprise, she was hired as an Assistant Pre-School Teacher and her dream came true.  She worked there for 21 years and at age 86 decided it was time to retire.  She loved all the children who touched her life throughout the years.  Mom always had a smile on her face and a laugh in her heart.  She was a kind, gentle soul who loved life, family, friends, the color pink and a good piece of chocolate.  She was an incredibly strong woman, relying on her inner strength and unwavering faith.

Mom was able to stay in her home, living independently, until age 92 because of the love and care of her neighbors, Judy Wheelock and family. We are forever grateful. We also would like to thank the staff at Apple Rehab for the selfless and attentive care they gave mom in her final years and the support they provided to her family.

Her Funeral Liturgy will be held Wednesday (Nov. 7 ^th ) at 11 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Elm St., Middletown. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Middletown. Friends may call on Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Francis of Assisi Church, 10 Elm Street, Middletown, CT 06457.