Eileen M. Orensky's Obituary
Eileen M. Orensky, 87, of Delray Beach, FL, passed away on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
Eileen Orensky was born to Joseph and Rae Arbeitman on an icy January 9,
1938, in the Bronx, although she kept her place of origin a closely guarded
secret. As the oldest child, she was doting to her younger brothers, Arthur
(deceased) and Jack. Her childhood was full of love and laughter. Eileen formed
lifelong friendships with Judy Zager and Arlene Zemsky in middle school,
creating the kind of chosen family we all long for. Witty and full of life, it’s no
wonder that when her cousin introduced her to Andrew Orensky, he knew
immediately that she was the one for him. Although Eileen had other prospective
husbands at the time, she quickly realized that Andy was the love of her life,
providing a constant source of playful aggravation. They were married on
September 5, 1960, and Eileen was a glamorous and beaming bride. Her beauty
didn’t require heavy investment in cosmetics, though appearances were
important to her.
The family grew swiftly with the birth of their first son, Evan, exactly one year
later. She often joked that she never got to enjoy an anniversary with just Andy. A
year and a half later, Janna joined the family, and five years after that, Hal
arrived, filling their home with activity and joy.
Eileen worked as a civil servant, first for the IRS and later as a senior Medicaid
examiner for Suffolk County Social Services for over twenty-five years. She was
a tough cookie, enjoying a successful and well-respected career.
If we tell you that Eileen could talk, you might not fully grasp how loquacious she
was. She dominated conversations for much of her life. In her later years, that
changed somewhat due to her habit of misplacing her hearing aids.
Eileen embodied the essence of motherhood. She desired constant contact with
those she loved and eventually welcomed her children’s loved ones with
incredible warmth and grace. Her relationship with Marci (Evan) and Susanna
(Hal) was life-affirming and full of respect. When Eileen became a "grammy," her
identity felt complete. Ben and Rachel (twins) and later Eden became her pride
and joy, and she loved to boast about their education—something she and Andy
worked hard to provide.
Eileen sometimes played the clown and at other times took on the role of the
devil's advocate, but she was always the life of the party. She loved music,
especially crooners and show tunes, and would sing along with a deep, operatic
swell. The truth is, Eileen couldn’t suffer fools lightly, and she rarely met anyone
she considered smarter than herself. Her biting wit could deliver critical remarks
with just a side-eye and an eyebrow raise, letting you know she was keeping her
sense of humor about the situation.
Eileen’s poise and strength of will were positively royal. She was the nucleus of
our family, holding chaos together and spinning us all in the orbit of her love. She
was our matriarch. We will miss her in ways we cannot yet imagine. We hope you
will join us in remembering the star in our sky and share your memories of Eileen
with us. We urge you to call your mother because, as Eileen often reminded us,
“She isn’t getting any younger."
Eileen was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Andrew Orensky, and is survived by her loving children, Evan (Marci) Orensky, Hal (Susanna) Orensky, and Janna Orensky, cherished grandchildren, Benjamin Orensky, Rachel Orensky, and Eden Orensky; and brother, Jack Arbeitman.
A chapel service will be held at Beth Israel Memorial Chapel (Delray) location, 5808 West Atlantic Avenue Delray Beach, FL 33484, at 11am on Sunday, January 26, 2025.
Entombment will follow at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Those wishing to honor Eileen with a memorial contribution are kindly encouraged to consider a donation to Breast Cancer Research Foundation at:
https://www.bcrf.org/
What’s your fondest memory of Eileen?
What’s a lesson you learned from Eileen?
Share a story where Eileen's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Eileen you’ll never forget.
How did Eileen make you smile?
