Eileen Fay Bourke

Eileen Fay (Ingram) Bourke passed away peacefully in her home in Bozeman, Montana on December 16, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. Eileen was born on September 9, 1940 in Doniphan, Missouri to Albert Ingram and Mary Hayes. Living a rural life in the Ozark foothills as part of a farming family instilled a strong work ethic in her from a young age and a lifetime passion for gardening. After moving to Delton, Michigan with her family, she graduated from Delton High School as co-valedictorian in 1958.

Eileen started undergraduate studies at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago before transferring back to Michigan and graduating at the top of her class from the Bronson School of Nursing in 1961. She worked briefly at Michigan State Hospital before moving to Champaign Urbana, Illinois with her first husband. Together they moved to San Francisco, where Eileen worked full time as a nurse in the ER at University of California San Francisco medical center. Although her first marriage wasn't successful, Eileen's life in San Francisco in the 1960s opened her to a world of arts, creativity, and music that she always cherished.

An unexpected vacation to central Montana with a friend from San Francisco introduced Eileen to Michael Bourke. Eileen fell in love with Montana and Mike and they were married in 1975. They had their only child, Jeffrey, in 1977, who they raised together on the family farm in Moccasin, Montana, before moving to Lewistown in 1983. Eileen worked on the farm and as an ER nurse in the Lewistown hospital and always had fond memories of the staff and friends she made in central Montana.

Beyond Montana, Eileen's adventurous spirit and willingness to take a leap of faith took her and Jeffrey around the United States and to Japan. In the late 1980s and early 1990s she lived and worked in hospitals in Bellingham, Washington and Arlington, Texas. She joined the Navy Reserve in Washington and continued her military service throughout the next decade, advancing as an officer to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. While in Texas she earned her Master's Degree in hospital administration from the University of Oklahoma. In the mid 1990s she taught English while living in Hayama and Yokosuka, Japan, which she loved. After adventuring in Japan Eileen moved back stateside in 1998 and lived in North Carolina, Maryland, and Florida. She worked in several capacities through these years; always volunteering at a thrift store, briefly as a Dairy Queen owner and manager, and always interior decorating with her wonderful thrift finds. In this busy time she always found space for her family and friends and continued to make everyone she interacted with feel special.

Eileen's love for warmth and her son brought her to San Diego in the mid 2000's, where she continued to volunteer and work with San Diego hospice doing in-home care. As she did throughout her life, Eileen made wonderful friends everywhere she went, who she appreciated for a lifetime. In 2016 Eileen moved to Prescott, Arizona, where she lived, continued in-home care for those less fortunate, and volunteered at the local thrift store, before returning to Montana in 2022 at the loving behest of her son.

The last years of her life Eileen continued to thrive, giving more of herself than ever, and continuing to impact the lives of those around her. Her enduring love for books led her to be well known at the local library, and she was awarded for reader of the most books in a year in 2023. She continued correspondence with dozens of friends, and her writings brought light to many of the people in her life. She was a kind, loving, generous friend, mother and wife, and she gave of herself fully and practiced her faith daily.

We find comfort in knowing that Eileen's legacy lives on through the lessons of kindness and selflessness she taught us all, the love she shared, and memories we will hold dear forever.

A private Celebration of Life will be held at Eileen's family home on December 28, 2025, from 12 to 3 P.M.

Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com