Eileen Foley

Eileen Foley
Mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
In office
1988–1997
Preceded byMary Keenan
Succeeded byEvelyn Sirrell
Mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
In office
1984–1985
Succeeded byMary Keenan
Mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
In office
1968–1971
Preceded byTimothy "Ted" Connors
Personal details
Born
Helen Dondero

(1918-02-27)February 27, 1918
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedFebruary 22, 2016(2016-02-22) (aged 97)
Political partyDemocratic Party
SpouseJohn J. Foley (1948–1994; his death)
Children3
Alma materSyracuse University

Helen "Eileen" Foley (née Dondero; February 27, 1918 – February 22, 2016) was an American politician. Foley served as the Mayor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, eight terms from 1968–1971, 1984–1985, and 1988–1997.[1] She remains the longest-serving mayor in the city's history.[2] She represented the 24th District in the New Hampshire Senate for seven terms, including one term as the Democratic Party Minority Leader.[3]

Foley followed her mother, Mary (née Carey) Dondero, the first woman to become mayor of Portsmouth (1945–47), into politics.[1][3]

Portraits of Foley and her mother now hang side-by-side in Portsmouth City Hall.[3] Portsmouth's city council chambers have also been renamed in Foley's honor.[3]

  1. ^ a b Haas, Kimberly (2016-02-22). "Ex-Portsmouth Mayor Eileen Foley dies; city, state officials mourn". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  2. ^ Robinson, J. Dennis (2016-02-22). "Why Eileen Foley is beloved". Seacoastonline.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-02. Retrieved 2016-03-06.
  3. ^ a b c d Dinan, Elizabeth (2016-02-22). "Beloved Portsmouth Mayor Eileen Dondero Foley dies at 97". Seacoastonline.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2016-03-06.