Eileen M. Grubb of Springs, described by her family as a “beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, colleague, mentor, and dedicated professional,” died at home last Thursday of Stage 4 small-cell lung cancer, diagnosed in February. She was 73.
She is survived by her children, Carrie Beth McVicker of Manassas, Va., Dana James (Jamie) Grubb Jr. of Merrick, and Cecilia Grubb of West Palm Beach, Fla., and by her six grandchildren: Isabel, Alexandra, and Dana James Grubb III of Merrick and Henry, Lucas, and Hanna Dunkleberger of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Her former husband, Dana James Grubb Sr., lives in Bridgehampton.
Born on July 20, 1950, in Rockville Centre to William and Loretta Warga, she was the youngest of four children. Her sister Rosemary Franca of Poughkeepsie survives. Her brother, Mickey, and sister Susan died before her.
Ms. Grubb’s early years were spent in Sagaponack, having moved from Mineola in the early 1950s. She attended Sacred Hearts Elementary School in Southampton and graduated from Bridgehampton High School in 1968. “Her academic journey was marked by perseverance and dedication,” her family wrote.
After marrying on Dec. 7, 1968, “she embarked on a path of lifelong learning and service,” her family said.
In her early professional life she worked at Bridgehampton National Bank, First National Bank of East Hampton, and as a teacher’s aide at the East Hampton Middle School.
Her passion for education led her to return to college after the birth of her third child. At 30, she began her studies at Suffolk Community College and graduated with an associate’s degree in physical therapy. Her educational journey didn’t stop there. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Stony Brook University in 1991, after which she worked at Southampton Hospital. In 2007, she returned to Stony Brook to earn her master’s degree in health care management.
When she retired after 30 years as a physical therapist at the hospital, she began a new venture in real estate with Town and Country Real Estate and under the mentorship and guidance of her good friend Janet Hummel and continued to work even through the past year. “She would work as she could during her intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, keeping her sharp, active, and engaged while enjoying each day as much as possible with her clients, family, and friends,” her family wrote.
They said Ms. Grubb “cherished the simple pleasures of life. She enjoyed reading, books on tape during her long commutes to and from Stony Brook as a student, movies, music, and baking. She often could be found hiking and walking with her lifelong best friend since high school, Charles Grubb, several times a week through the towns of East Hampton, Amagansett, Sag Harbor, and Bridgehampton. Eileen was also a regular at the East Hampton Library and would spend many an afternoon at the Main Beach pavilion people-watching, having lunch with her friends, or admiring the tides and sunsets.”
Her family said she will be remembered for “her smile, her warmth, her generosity and kindness; everyone around her felt a genuine and sincere connection that would never fade.”
Early during her diagnosis, Ms. Grubb decided that after her death she would donate her body to the Stony Brook anatomical donation program as her way to give back to the university. “This will allow medical students and researchers the invaluable, hands-on opportunity to learn as she did while she was a student in Stony Brook’s P.T. program,” her family said.
She requested contributions to the East Hampton Library at 159 Main Street, or East End Hospice, online at eeh.org.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
