Eileen A. McIntyre, 91, formerly of
Renfrew, Pennsylvania, passed away on January 24, 2012 at
11:15 p.m. at the VNA Inpatient Hospice.
She was born August 2, 1920 in
Plaistow, England to the late Albert Davies and Alice Nash
Davies.
When World War II began in
September 1939, Eileen was a teenager. The war quickly came
to her as her family home was a suburb of London and there
was a Royal Air Force fighter base practically in her
backyard. In June 1940, Eileen and her family went to nearby
ports to see the beaten British/French Armies that had been
miraculously evacuated from Dunkirk, France. She witnessed
beaten, bloody, filthy, weaponless troops as they poured
into England thankful for their lives. Hitler now planned to
invade England.
Two weeks later, his Luftwaffe
began the bombing of British cities. Her family home was
routinely bombed by the German Luftwaffe when they began the
bombings of civilians in June 1940 and once was hit and
damaged. Eileen and her family spent many hours in bomb
shelters. During a Sunday visit to the local RAF fighter
base to deliver magazines and food to troops manning
antiaircraft facilities, Eileen and her friend were strafed
by a German fighter. The pilot was so close to the ground
they could see his face.
Eileen went to work in London for
insurer, Lloyds of London where it was her job to plot the
many ships and hundreds of thousands of tons insured by
Lloyds being blown up by German submarines.
German bombing was relentless and
continued through the summer forcing Lloyds to transfer the
offices to the suburbs. It was a daily experience for Eileen
and her colleagues to see the London skies filled with
German and British fighters and bombers in dog fights that
created a patchwork sky of airplane vapor; a veritable front
row seat.
In September 1940, Eileen became
trapped in the largest and most lethal German bombing of
London. She barely survived that ordeal and later that month
the Germans gave up their plans to invade England. The
British had won the Battle of Britain and Eileen had a front
row seat all the time.
She entered the British Women's
Army Corp in 1943, 46th Anti Aircraft Battalion, posted to
the Anti Aircraft Headquarters, Western Command headquarters
in Bristol. She met Harold B. McIntyre of Butler while
stationed at Bristol on General Brady's staff. They were
married on April 1, 1945 in England. They returned to Butler
after the war to start their family. Mrs. McIntyre was a
member of St. Marks Evangelical Lutheran Church where she
volunteered in the office and at Katie's Kitchen for many
years. She volunteered at Butler Meals on Wheels and was a
member of the Quilters Guild at Dunbar Community Center.
Eileen enjoyed sewing, baking, gardening, traveling and
reading, but most of all she loved spending time with her
family.
Mrs. McIntyre is survived by one
son, Richard McIntyre of Auburn, NY; two daughters, Patricia
Foringer of Butler, PA, Susan Evans and her husband John of
Butler, PA; eight grandchildren, Lindsay McIntyre of
Atlanta, GA, Stephen McIntyre and his wife Colleen of
Cortland, NY, Jay Foringer and his wife Trena of Munroe
Falls, OH, Matt Foringer and his wife Beth of Seven Fields,
PA, Chris Foringer and his wife Julia of Butler, PA,
Christine Cochran of Butler, PA, Melissa McAnallen and her
husband Clay of Butler, PA, Allison Whelan and her husband
Chris of Connoquenessing, PA; one step-granddaughter,
Kennedy Evans of Butler, PA; three great-grandchildren,
Julia & Jack Foringer of Munroe Falls, OH, Nathan McAnallen
of Butler, PA; (She was excited to be awaiting the arrival
of a new great grandchild due in July.); one sister, Joy
Tidman; and several nieces and nephews in Butler & England.
In addition to her parents she was
preceded in death her husband, Harold B. McIntyre who passed
away June 28, 1986 and son-in-law, Chad Foringer.
Friends will be received Friday,
January 27, 2012 from 1
to 3 and 7 to 9 p.m.
at the Thompson - Miller Funeral Home, Inc.,
124 East North Street Butler, PA.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2012,
at 10:00 a.m. at the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home Inc., 124
East North St. Butler, PA, with Reverend Dr. Alden Towberman,
officiating.
Burial will take place in the Butler County Memorial
Park.
