Celebration of life: Eileen Mulligan

Noble Horizons Auxiliary and Noble Horizons will be hosting a celebration of life for Eileen Mulligan on Saturday, Jan. 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Community Room. Eileen was the founding administrator of Noble from 1972 until her retirement 45 years later in 2017. Upon retiring she achieved the status of five stars for Noble Horizons. Please join us in her honor for this celebration.

In Appreciation:

I was an idealistic third year college student pursuing a Social Work degree and I needed an annual seven week field period placement in 1976 and it was time to give elder care a whirl. And just like that, my introduction to Eileen Mulligan, Administrator of Noble Horizons, changed the trajectory of my life. On the facility tour, Eileen stopped and addressed a frail male resident in a wheelchair by title, putting a hand on his shoulder, and discreetly replaced his compromised lap blanket. This still frame of a singular caring gesture to ensure a modicum of dignity stayed with me, and epitomizes who Eileen was.

Those seven weeks in the Recreation Dept, entertaining and engaging seventy 65 -85-year-old guests, set the stage for a lifelong endeavor and a love of compassionate care, crazy and spontaneous fun and creativity, as well as customer service. Three years later, I was back at Noble as a full time Recreation Director.

With Eileen Mulligan at the helm of what was then a cutting-edge continuum of care model, her influence and professionalism developed and supported the ‘premier’ living standard for late life and end of life care. With a powerful sense of decency, commitment, and loyalty, Eileen created a culture that became the benchmark of quality of care for over four decades.
Eileen had an innate sense of right and wrong, and demanded the utmost respect. She was extremely organized, thorough, and observant, detail oriented. Her expectations were high, and she was a task master. Always on time, always hands on, always pragmatic, always with a let us get it done attitude. She was fiscally responsible, community minded, and generous. Eileen was an etiquette maven with exquisite taste in décor, art, fashion, fine wine, and delicious food. She was attentive to family and close friends, took epic vacations over the years, and had a string of little unpleasant dogs that she adored.

Our paths crisscrossed over those decades, while I wore many hats in many departments at Noble, as well as in the community. Eileen was a mentor and considered me an earnest voice of reason albeit an idealistic thorn in her side as she moved me around and brought me back time after time, when I’d need a change from entrepreneurial endeavors. I was fortunate to have had four family members live out their final years under her tenure, and three relatives had benefitted in short term rehab care.
(Eileen, coincidentally, was our tenant for years and I even did a little successful matchmaking!)

I was a stalwart supporter, as well as a dependable critic. Of course, Eileen had her less than stellar moments as we all do, some infuriating and some wildly stubborn. I am grateful for the collage of memories that bring me tears of joy and grief. Eileen did not deserve her condition (no one does, to be clear) but she had more than earned the quality care she received these last few years and the ultimate peace she now has.

Because of the thousands of lives affected directly and indirectly by her dedication and vision, I hope and pray that Eileen’s legacy will live on in the Salisbury community and in the industry of elder care in the Tri-State area. This is her gift to us and our gift to her.

Sandra Oliver

Lakeville