Eileen McCoy Whang, of Princeton, NJ, died at age 64, at home on June 23, leaving this earthly world in peace.
Selfless and loving, strong-willed and feisty, Eileen always thought of and put others first, despite the incredible obstacles that she herself faced. She was a natural caregiver, both for her own immediate and extended family, as well as for all those she encountered on a daily basis. An excellent communicator and a supportive listener, Eileen without fail met everyone on an equal level, easily and uniquely engaging each diverse individual in the warm attentive manner that all who met her doubtless must have felt.
Eileen was predeceased by her father Thomas James McCoy, Jr., her mother Eileen Carey McCoy, and her brother Thomas James McCoy, III. She is survived by her devoted
husband KyuJung Whang, daughter Maura Carey Whang and son-in-law Deegan McClung, son Andrew (Drew) James Whang and daughter-in-law Adrienne Polk, and her grandson Remy James Whang, and her spirit welcomes her second grandchild, due in August. She is also survived by numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, cousins, and great friends, too many to count.
Born on August 5, 1958, in Arlington, Virginia, Eileen grew up in Convent Station, NJ. After graduating from Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child in Summit, NJ, Eileen attended Syracuse University, graduating with dual Bachelor of Science Degrees in Human Development and Early Childhood Education in 1980. It was at Syracuse where she met Kyu, and the two shared forty-two years together in a remarkable marriage, raising two astounding and steadfast children in the diverse town of Lawrenceville, NJ.
Over the course of her life and career, Eileen taught at University League Nursery School in Princeton, served as a dependent care consultant at Cornell University, and devoted much of her time to helping others, notably serving in volunteer and leadership roles for the Literacy Volunteers of America in Mercer County, the Foodnet Meals on Wheels, the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes, the YWCA of Princeton, and an adult tutoring program run by the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
After receiving an initial thymic carcinoma diagnosis in 2007, in addition to having had three other cancers, in December 2022, Eileen and her family made the difficult but ultimately life-sustaining decision to no longer seek any curative medical treatment. Eileen remained resolute that she was at peace with this decision, had no regrets, lived the life she wanted, and successfully set an example for her children, grandchildren, and others.
Eileen would like to be remembered for what brought her the most happiness and joy: traveling the world with Kyu and her family; enjoying a well-prepared meal; sharing time with friends; amusing in a good novel; ever-seeking knowledge and challenging her own beliefs; dancing with Kyu, and dancing in the rain; taking walks in all four seasons; soaking in the tub; spending time with her family at their homes in Princeton and on Long Beach Island, in particular putting up a good fight in their annual Cocktailfest; visiting her children in New York; delighting in watching her young grandson grow up, and her grandchild-to-be swell in her daughter’s belly; taking comfort in seeing Kyu’s face every time he would come home.
Eileen’s Celebration Service will be held on Saturday, July 1, at 10:30am at the Princeton University Chapel. Visitation hours will be held the night before at Mather-Hodge Funeral Home, from 4-6pm.
Gifts in Eileen’s memory may be made to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (trentonsoupkitchen.org) or the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes (crcfl.net).