Eileen Slota Harkless, 80, passed away on December 26, 2022, at Brighton Gardens nursing facility in Edison, NJ following a brief and hard-fought battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Born in Astoria Queens on August 20, 1942 to parents Demetro (Fred) Slota and Helen Autenreith, she was hard-working young girl, diligent student and highly academically focused. In 1959, she graduated Bryant High School at the age of 16, #4 in her class (after having completed high school in three years and junior high in two). Eileen attended Douglass College at Rutgers University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French, #2 in her class. In late 1963, she was appointed the new French teacher and also head of the foreign language department at Franklin Middle School in Metuchen at the ripe old age of 20. She taught at Franklin until 1969 and went on to earn a master's degree in French literature from Rutgers Graduate School in 1973.

For 30+ years, Eileen was a well-respected French teacher at several Edison NJ schools, including J.P. Stevens High School and Woodrow Wilson Middle School, where she taught a range of classes from AP to intro levels. She thoroughly enjoyed taking her students on annual trips to Quebec City and New York City to see the show Les Misérables, always followed by a meal at a French restaurant.

Some of her happiest memories were from the beach and family summer cottage in Rocky Point NY on the Long Island Sound, where she sang songs, played cards, and ran barefoot. She loved to spend time with her grandchildren and was a highly skilled gift selector, wrapper, and giver. As a life-long cat lover and gardener, she always had a bevy of cats and plants around her. She was also a social butterfly and could strike up a conversation with literally anyone, anywhere.

She is survived by her daughter, Lynda Woodworth of Metuchen; her son, Doug Woodworth of Piscataway; her grandchildren Jackson Costello, Emily Woodworth and Sam Woodworth; and her sister, Karen Legg of Allentown, PA.

Family and friends are invited to gather from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm on Saturday, January 14 th at the Flynn and Son/Coyen Funeral Home, 319 Amboy Avenue, Metuchen NJ to celebrate her life and the wonderful woman she was. A funeral service and sharing of memories/stories will be offered at 3:15 pm .

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of the nonprofits that Eileen greatly supported, InterfaithRISE – a refugee resettlement organization in Central New Jersey. You can make a donation online at interfaithrise.org or by writing a check to InterfaithRISE and mailing it to 19 S. 2nd Ave., Highland Park, NJ 08904. Contributions would be put toward educational support and opportunities for children who are new arrivals to our country.