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Unfortunately, it was someone she cared for who is accused of killing the mother of two.
The 48-year-old from Chicopee was found stabbed to death on Sunday, April 14, around 1:30 a.m. in a home on South Water Street in Holyoke after police were called for suspicious activity, officials said.
Police charged her Chicopee firefighter boyfriend Jason Chapdelaine with her murder.
Memorials for Eileen have poured in since her death, with dozens of social media posts mourning the loss of an "assertive, kind, funny, thoughtful," woman who was "truly a force to be reckoned with."
Eileen was the longtime chief-of-staff for Chicopee State Representative Joseph F. Wagner before she joined the Hampden County Sheriff's Department as the executive assistant to Sheriff Nick Cocchi.
Cocchi called her a "rose in a world full of thorns."
This loss is felt deeply by the entire Hampden County Sheriff’s Office, Eileen’s family, friends, and the community. Eileen was not only a loved and valued colleague but also a dedicated and generous person who meant so much to so many, especially her kids,” said Sheriff Cocchi. “Eileen was truly a rose in a world of thorns. As we try to process this tragic loss, please keep the Monaghan family in your thoughts and prayers. To say Eileen was loved and will be missed is an understatement.
Eileen was a devoted sportswoman who was a standout basketball and soccer player at Chicopee High School and Western New England College, her obituary said. She coached girls' sports in her spare time along with her many other passions such as gardening, running, and cooking.
She leaves behind two daughters and two rescue dogs, Penny and Bogie.
A funeral service for Eileen is scheduled for Saturday, April 27, at Grise Funeral Home at 280 Springfield St. in Chicopee at 9 a.m.
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