Eileen Drake Stengle, (92) Ovid, NY/Fernandina Beach, Fl, passed away peacefully on July 29, 2025, under a handmaid quilt no doubt dreaming of reuniting with those she loved.

Eileen was born in Cortland, NY to Edwin T. and Teresa Conachy Drake on December 14, 1932. After the passing of her father when she was a toddler, Eileen and her brother were raised in Groton, NY by their very independent Irish mother. Eileen graduated from Groton High School, married, and started a family. Following the end of her first marriage, Eileen and her three sons moved to Ovid where she met and married a handsome dairy farmer, a man she would later call the one great and true love of her life. Together they had two more children. Eileen spent the subsequent years working the Lodi farm, taking care of her family, serving as a poll worker, and volunteering at local thrift shops. She often referred to herself as a dedicated junkyard junkie. In retirement, Eileen and her husband split their time between a lovely cottage on Cayuga Lake and a home in sunny Fernandina Beach, FL. She enjoyed dinner parties with friends, finding treasures at yard sales and secondhand stores, and watching old movies.

Eileen was preceded in death by her brother Edwin "Bob" Drake, her two oldest sons Kevin and Shane Dempsey, and her loving husband of 49 years, Charles "Casey" Stengle. She is survived by her sons James (Lori) Dempsey of Truxton, NY, and Benjamin (Heather) Stengle of Newark, OH, as well as a daughter, Joy (Robert) Ike of Palmyra, NY. She also leaves behind numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Eileen will be laid to rest alongside her husband in the New York State Veterans Cemetery – Finger Lakes on Friday (August 15) at 10 AM, 6632 NY-96A, Romulus, NY 14541.

In lieu of flowers, and as a way to honor the compassionate hospital staff who took such wonderful care of her, kindly consider a donation to The F.F. Thompson Foundation Annual Fund in Eileen's memory. https://www.thompsonhealth.com/FFThompsonFoundation

To leave the family an online condolence, please visit Eileen's tribute wall www.murphyfuneralservices.com.