Obituary: Aileen Alannah (Murphy) Zsenyuk
Aileen Alannah (Murphy) Zsenyuk (August 7, 1936 – October 23, 2024)
Aileen Alannah (Murphy) Zsenyuk passed away on October 23. An Irish celebration of life and luncheon for family and friends will be held on November 9, at noon, at Manchester Mill on the Water, 201 E Main St, Manchester.
Aileen was born on August 7, 1936, in Detroit to George Harold Murphy and Ethel Dorothy Holzhueter. She graduated Cum Laude from Western High School and attended the University of Detroit and Wayne State University. On August 28, 1954, she married her lifelong love and partner, William Paul Zsenyuk, and recently celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary.
Aileen enjoyed a wide range of interests, including freelance writing, genealogy, oil painting, piano, hockey, silversmithing, and languages (particularly English, Hungarian, German, and Latin). She often used Latin phrases, pointing out their roots in English. A proud member of Mensa, Aileen was a gifted writer and lifelong learner, known for her beautiful handwriting and love of reading. Her published works include Family of the Jura, On My Watch: From Police Cadet to Police Chief, and The Compleat Garage Sale. She regularly contributed to Intermission, Monday Moanin’, Unconquered, On the Health Side, The Waterlog, and Skills Center Spotlight. She even enjoyed serving as a hockey game announcer as well as statistician for her husband’s senior softball league. She and her husband were members of the Nomads Traveling Group and enjoyed frequent travel. This adventurous spirit continued into retirement and led them to destinations such as Ireland, Hungary, and Switzerland where they explored their ancestral origins.
Aileen was a straightforward problem-solver who exemplified strength, intelligence, and personal responsibility, values she sought to instill in her children. She was a passionate advocate for independent thinking, women’s rights, and education. She encouraged her children to explore their interests across various art forms, music genres, and sports.
Aileen valued her community and helped others through volunteer work as a tape reader for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Library and as a host parent for Youth for Understanding. She also developed “Missing Person’s Registry” in the early 1970s to help reunite birth parents with adoptees. Later, she created the “Keep It Together” kit, a medical records organizational folder that she donated to several organizations.
Before retirement, Aileen worked as a business manager at Jackson Radiology Consultants and served as President of the Radiology Business Manager’s Association of Michigan, but she was particularly proud of her early work with Detroit Public Schools. As an adult education instructor, she taught clerical skills with an emphasis on bookkeeping, Gregg shorthand, typing, and language skills. This commitment to proper English and grammar was yet another value she worked to instill in her children and grandchildren.
In retirement, Aileen and her husband moved to Las Vegas, where she remained active. She was elected to serve on the Sun City Summerlin Community Association Board of Directors. She founded the Irish Club and the Welcomeers, a group of volunteers who welcomed new residents to Sun City. She participated in a writers’ group and local theater. She served on the editorial board for the Link, Sun City’s monthly magazine. She enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere of Las Vegas and all it had to offer. In 2018, they returned to Michigan.
Aileen was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Karen. She will be greatly missed by her husband, William; her children, Michael (Dorothy), Annette (David), and Maureen (Daniel); her grandchildren, Laura, Christopher (Megan), Brian (Theresa), Sean (Jade), William (Yazmin), and James; her brother, Brian (Cindy); and her 11 great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews.
Her commitment to community service and education continues as she donated herself to the University of Michigan Anatomical Donations Program.
A special thank you to Chelsea Davita Dialysis Center, Mary Ruloff with Comfort Keepers, and Chelsea Senior Center.
Memorial contributions may be made to Chelsea Senior Center, Ease the Day Program, 512 Washington St, Chelsea, MI 48118, or your own local senior center.
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