Eileen Lentz

Dean Lentz Just arrived home from hospital with mom, Hazel Eileen.

Dean Lentz

Dean Lentz Eileen had a special bond with her father Barnard and spoke very fondly of him throughout her life. He was a photographer and took most of the black and white photographs of Eileen when she was young.

Dean Lentz With cousins Eugene Baker, Christine, Dixie, & Christian Utterback at grandparent's (Utterback) home. As a young girl Eileen spent many summers at her Aunt Mable’s and Uncle Selby’s farm in Vandalia, Missouri. She remained very close with her aunt, uncle, and cousin Eugene throughout her life. Aunt Mable was Eileen’s mother’s sister.

Dean Lentz She adored her cousin Eugene Baker. When visiting St. Louis later in life, she frequently made the excursion to Vandalia to visit Eugene and his parents Aunt Mable and Uncle Selby.

Dean Lentz 7th birthday party with friends.

Dean Lentz One of the many lovely photos taken by her beloved father Barnard.

Dean Lentz On front steps of home in St. Louis with mother Eileen.

Dean Lentz With sister Louise.

Dean Lentz Graduates from Webster Groves High School.

Dean Lentz Eileen always loved to dance. This photo is from a newspaper clipping we found: "Girls of Gamma Phi Beta lean into the task of putting the final polish on their dance routine in preparation for Bearskin Follies at Kiel Auditorium."

Dean Lentz Graduates from Washington University

Dean Lentz Moved to Bay Ridge Brooklyn right below the Verrazano Narrows as it was completing construction. Her first job in the city was as a dress designer in Manhattan.

Dean Lentz Nottingham Road in the 70’s.

Dean Lentz Sailing on Lake Champlain circa 1975.

Dean Lentz Vacation at Mystic, Connecticut with the Franks circa 1977.

Dean Lentz When each one of her children turned 13, Eileen took each of us to a destination of our choosing so we could experience the world. I chose skiing in the Austrian Alps. In this photo you can see Eileen always enjoyed the beach wherever she went.

Dean Lentz Eileen was very active with her sorority Gamma Phi Beta throughout her life. She joined the sorority while at Washington University in St. Louis. While living in New Jersey, she became very active in supporting her sisters at the Princeton Alumnae Chapter and Delta Mu Chapter at Rutgers University.

Dean Lentz Fire Island in the 80’s. Eileen loved the beach and the ocean. She was in her element at the shore. It was her mission to spend as much time at the beach each summer as possible staying at various locations on Long Island, New Jersey, South Carolina, and even Cancun, but it was at Davis Park on Fire Island where we returned year after year and where she created indelible memories for family and friends that were magical.

Dean Lentz Traveling through Greece with Christian for his 13th birthday.

Dean Lentz Impromptu fiesta at the house at Stratton. Eileen rented a house in Bondville, Vermont over two winters while Dean was in school there so family and friends could visit, ski, sled (there was a great sledding hill across the road), and celebrate.

Dean Lentz In 1996, Eileen joined the New Jersey Performing Arts Center as their event coordinator and was instrumental in their opening in 1997 and during their formative years.

Dean Lentz 60th birthday party.

Katherine Virkstis Katherine's wedding with good friends, Eileen Paduano, Jane Reidel, and family.

Dean Lentz For many years in the 70’s and 80’s Eileen helped to run the Young People’s Fellowship (YPF) program at Christ Church along with her good friend Eileen Paduano. Her mentorship meant so much to so many. Here the “two Eileens”, as they were known, are reconnecting decades later with their old friend Minister Ranfurly Brown.

Kate Parker-Lentz thanksgiving :)

Kate Parker-Lentz Grandma came out to our show and the lights on her reading glasses stole the spotlight

Anya Parker-Lentz Grandma took me to one of her Charleston favorites, NICO. Chef Nico sent out a delicious appetizer. Can't remember what else we ate that night, but it was probably amazing.

Kate Parker-Lentz Grandma would take Anya and I to El Parador for our birthday every year. Grandma came to NJ for the Merck event she planned every spring so it became tradition that we’d celebrate Anya’s April bday and my May bday whenever grandma was in town for Merck. Even after grandma retired and no longer had to come to New Jersey in the springtime, she still made the trip every year to take us for our classic El Parador dinner, the only dinner that grandma didn’t have wine with. She’d get a margarita or 2 for dinner and a Mexican coffee for dessert. She’d always let me have a sip. The last time we went to El Parador in 2019— when this photo was taken— I was old enough to get my own margarita :)

Dean Lentz 82nd Birthday with caviar!