Br. Rice High School Community Mourns Beloved Teacher

The Br. Rice High School community is mourning one of its own this week, after the passing of celebrated and beloved teacher Eileen Barkowski.

Barkowski, who taught at the school for more than 25 years, died Friday night surrounded by family. Barkowski led theology and psychology classes, as well as serving as band moderator, and head of the dance committee for the school. Students who interacted with Barkowski couldn’t help but be impacted by her, senior Joe Swiatek wrote on the school website.

“A student body and faculty favorite, she was a helping hand for many, past and present,” Swiatek wrote. ”Her personality and smile lit up the entire school. If Mrs. B was not at school, everyone wondered where she was and if she was okay. In class, she not only taught theology and psychology, but life lessons. Those life lessons are what truly will be missed by all of her students.”

“I have the best job in the world.” - Mrs. B, in her speech after being inducted into the Hall of Fame

Grief poured from the hearts of students, faculty, and community members, onto the school’s Facebook page.

Daniel R. Malloy: I just saw her recently at Pappy’s. She was my counselor. She was an amazing woman and one of the best at BR. She will be missed.

Nick Riney: R.I.P Ms. B. You were the best teacher I ever had. You were the reason why I looked forward to going to school everyday, to tell you the good news when I made the rank of Eagle Scout. You taught many kids including me when to make the right decision when we were faced with a problem.

“Thank you to the Brother Rice community of faculty, staff, students and parents who made every day at school for the past 25-plus years an absolute joy for Mrs. B,” reads a post on the school’s Facebook page. “She loved everything about Brother Rice and our students and spent the majority of her last days talking about them and getting back to the classroom.”

Barkowski loved ’her boys,’ Swiatek wrote.

“No matter what the situation was, she would go to bat for the student and help him in any way, shape, or form,” Swiatek wrote. “Knowing that she will not be around to brighten up the day truly weighs heavily on everyone’s heart.”

Visitation for Barkowski will be held Friday, Dec. 26, at Blake Lamb Funeral Home at 4727 W. 103rd Street in Oak Lawn from 3 to 9 p.m. The funeral mass will take place on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 10 a.m. at Brother Rice.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to Brother Rice High School, as family have set up a scholarship in her name. Please visit BrotherRice.org/Give and add “Mrs. B” in the comments. Donations can also be mailed to the school at 10001 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago, and add Mrs. B to the memo.

In Jan. 2014, Barkowski was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. Watch her speech below.