Eileen M. (Gillespie) Drees, 102 years old, died peacefully in her home in Melrose on Sunday, January 2, 2011 surrounded by family members. Eileen was born on October 31, 1908 in Hillsboro, New Brunswick, Canada and moved with her family to the United States in 1922, where she settled in Melrose. She married Frank V. Drees on April 28, 1938 and lived in Malden, MA for a short time before returning to Melrose in the early 1940s. She lived in Melrose for the remainder of her life. Eileen was first and foremost a beloved wife, a loving mother and a homemaker. She was also an accomplished horseback rider. Prior to and during the early years of marriage, she rode daily, before work, on the trails in the Fells Woods. The stables she used were located on Main Street where the Armory is now located on the Melrose/Malden Line. Eileen was also an avid reader and instilled this passion in her children. She loved poetry, the classics and books on theology. She enjoyed keeping up with current events through the Melrose papers and the Pilot. She re-entered the workforce after her children had grown. She started a new career in the banking industry and over the years worked for several different banks including Malden Savings Bank, Melrose Savings Bank and MassBank for Savings. During her working years, she was often recognized for distinctive service, and was selected teller of the month several times. She remained in the workforce for many years and retiring at the age of 93. In her later years she was often recognized around the community by people she met as the person who had provided them with friendly and efficient service for so many years at the bank. Eileen is survived by her loving children: Michael Drees and his wife Dana, of Springfield, MA; Brian Drees and his wife Margaret, of Malden, MA; Susan Drees, of Melrose; and Judith (Drees) Wuerker and her husband Paul, of Nottingham, NH. She is also survived by her eight loving grandchildren, Michael, Mark, Jennifer, Jeffrey, Emily, Benjamin, Kathryn, and Meaghan, as well as four great-grandchildren, Jack, Danielle, Kian, and Nico. She also leaves many nieces and nephews and a sister-in-law, Marian Gillespie of Medford, MA She was the wife of the late Frank Drees and mother of the late David Drees. She was also sister to the late Leo Gillespie of Wakefield, MA, Miriam (Gillespie) DuShane of Wakefield, MA, Frank Gillespie of Medford, MA, and Grace (Gillespie) Murphy of Portsmouth, RI. . Also survived by many nieces & nephews. Funeral from the Gately Funeral Home 79 W. Foster St., Melrose on Thursday Jan. 6th at 10AM. A Funeral Mass in St. Mary's Church, Herbert St., Melrose at 11AM. Relatives & friends respectfully invited. Visiting hours on Wednesday from 4-8PM. Burial in Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Eileen's name to the Hallmark Health Hospice 178 Savin St., Malden, MA 02148.