Eleanor M. "Lee" Gillis

Eleanor M "Lee" Gillis, 77, of Washington DC, beloved wife of the late Kevin Boyle and loving daughter of the late John A. Gillis M.D. and Eleanor (Ryan) Gillis of Newtown Square Pa., passed away Saturday morning Dec. 21, 2024 in Monroeville, Pa surrounded by her sisters, Marge and Vicki. She is survived by siblings, Margaret Gillis of Elkins Park, Pa., Victoria Gillis Hall of Monroeville Pa. and Angus T (Joanne) Gillis of Newtown Square Pa., 7 nieces/nephews, 9 grandnieces/nephews. She was preceded in death by her brothers, John A. Gillis Jr. in 2006, and James A. Gillis in 2018.

Eleanor attended St Anastasia Grade School and Bishop Shanahan High School. She graduated from Gwynedd Mercy College with an Associate’s Degree in Nursing in 1967, obtained a BSN, and in 1976, a Master’s in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, both from Catholic University of America (CUA). It was through CUA she first connected with women who became lifelong friends. In 1976 three of them purchased a subscription to the Washington Ballet at the Kennedy Center, that they renewed annually until the pandemic in 2019, over 40 years!

In summer of 1967, Eleanor went to D.C. to look for a job and within a week, she found her first nursing job as a floor nurse at Sibley Memorial Hospital. In 1974 she found her dream job of working for the Fairfax County, Va Public Health Department. Her career with the Fairfax County Health Dept progressed from public health nurse to a Supervisory Position until her retirement in 2016, after 42 years of service.

Eleanor was “Lee” to all of her D.C. friends, coworkers and neighbors. Kevin and Lee married in 1984 and enjoyed 36 years of marriage until Kevin’s death in 2020. Kevin took Lee to England to meet his parents and brothers in Leeds. They went on a trip to Greece. They lived in a wonderful D.C. neighborhood, where they socialized with their neighbors and friends, caring for each other and each other’s dogs. Lee enjoyed shopping, her book club, loved all dogs, was a voracious reader and read 2 newspapers every day, and she loved entertaining friends and neighbors in her home.

Friends and family are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, April 11, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Saint Anastasia’s Church at 3301 W. Chester Pike, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073. Preceding Mass, Friends and family are invited to attend the visitation at 9:30 a.m. Interment private at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Eleanor's memory to The Catholic University of America, Conway School of Nursing https://advance.catholic.edu/giving/to/nursing-annual-fund  or by mail to: The Catholic University of America, Conway School of Nursing, Conway 311, 620 Michigan Ave, NE, Washington, DC 20064.