Obituaries

Eileen Cecelia McNamara Pocius, 73, died at home October 8th from Alzheimer’s disease. She passed peacefully with her husband and daughter by her side. Her husband of 51 years is Leonard Pocius. She was the daughter of the late Ann Kempter McNamara and Joseph Martin McNamara.

A graduate of Scranton Central High School, she was elected vice president of her class. After graduation, she attended the University of Western Australia as a Rotary Exchange student and finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, was selected to be a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated summa cum laude. While teaching high school in the Philadelphia School District, she earned a master’s degree from Temple University and received a Graduate of Distinction award.

Upon returning to Scranton, she taught briefly at Keystone College and Lackawanna College and then for more than 25 years in the Scranton School District Program for Academically Gifted Students. During the summers, she took repeated lessons in golf and knitting, never got any better with either, and turned to her first love, academics. Starting with a student at the kitchen table, she founded BetterYourOdds College Admissions Counseling, which became a very successful second career. Over the course of a decade, the business grew and BYO students were accepted to over 160 colleges and universities.

Eileen will be remembered by her friends, family, and generations of students for her engaging intellect, effortless elegance, and energetic charm. She and Len loved gathering people together at their home at Lake Waynewood, a place where they found solace after losing a daughter Becky, age 20, in a car accident. Eileen was always grateful to be alive for so many good things, especially time spent with daughter Jen’s family and grandchildren Paige and Will, whom she adored. Always on the go, in the rare moments that she sat still she surrounded herself with stacks of cookbooks, poetry, and chocolate.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by daughter Jennifer Davis and son-in-law Bill, of Scranton, and their two children Paige and Will Davis. She was predeceased by her daughter Rebecca (Becky) Pocius, who died in 1992. Also surviving are two goddaughters, nieces, nephews, brothers- and sisters-in-law, and cousins.

The family thanks the many wonderful caregivers who provided comfort and compassion to Eileen during her illness, especially Stephanie, Kate, and the staff from Hospice of the Sacred Heart.

Funeral services are scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 9:00 AM from the Kevin K. Kearney Funeral Home, Inc., 125 North Main Avenue in West Scranton, with a 10:00 AM Mass of Christian Burial at St. Clare’s Church, 2251 N Washington Ave, Scranton, to be celebrated by Msgr. Neil J. Van Loon, Pastor. Burial will follow at the Cathedral Cemetery in West Scranton.

Family and friends may pay their respects on Tuesday between 4-7:00 PM at the funeral home.

For those wishing to honor her memory, contributions may be made in Eileen’s name to the Lackawanna County Children’s Library c/o 520 Vine St, Scranton, PA 18509 or the Lackawanna Historical Society c/o 232 Monroe Ave, Scranton, PA 18510.

For directions or to leave a condolence please visit the funeral home’s website.