Eileen Clare (Deen) Maxwell

Eileen Clare (Deen) Maxwell, 88, Hays, joined the heavenly choir of angels on Good Friday 2026, April 3. Eileen passed away at Brookdale Assisted Living.

Eileen was born on October 4, 1937, in Hays, KS, the third of four children, to Alvin and Tillie (Drees) Deen. She attended Hays Catholic Schools and graduated from Girls Catholic High in 1955. As was often expected at the time, students from GCH transitioned directly into the St. Anthony School of Nursing, and Eileen did this as well. However, after observing one too many surgeries, she decided this was not to be part of her career path. She went to work at the Ellis County Court House in the Administrative Service Center, where she met her future husband, Undersheriff Robert L. Maxwell. She and Bob were married on December 27, 1958. He preceded her in death on July 25, 2011.

Eileen was the consummate 1960’s housewife and mother. She encouraged and supported her three children in their academic and extracurricular activities and was always there for them no matter what. She loved taking care of her new home on Northridge, the very northern edge of Hays at that time. Northridge would be 30th Street if it were numbered. During the growing seasons, Eileen spent hours in her beautiful flower gardens, not stopping until the tiniest of weeds was pulled and bagged. She loved and adored her many pets over the years, her “troublesome little friends,” as Bob called them. She enjoyed hosting parties, whether for Bob’s English Department fellow staff members, his Barbershop Quartet and their wives, or Ray Wicher and the St. Joseph’s Choir, where she was a member for decades.

Music was indeed a huge part of Eileen’s life since childhood. She grew up listening to old opera recordings on Sunday afternoons with her grandpa and her beloved aunts. She studied voice in high school and in February ‘54 was chosen to be part of the newly formed Liturgical Choir at St. Joseph’s, under the direction of Professor Wicher, and was also a member of the National Catholic Music Educators Association All-State Catholic Chorus in November of the same year. After her marriage, her musical interest and involvement continued to blossom. She sang duets with her husband for various liturgical and community celebrations, was part of the FHSU Community Choir, and sang lead in The B Flats, a women’s barbershop quartet, all of which gave her a lifetime of wonderful memories.

She was a die-hard sports fan, whether watching her KC Chiefs, K-State football, KU basketball, any and all March Madness games, and especially her Fort Hays Tigers. Eileen loved to recall the back-to-back NAIA National Basketball Championships won in the ‘83-’85 seasons. In fact, to hear her tell it, one would think she was on the sideline coaching the coaching staff!

In the late ‘70’s, Eileen was asked by a faculty wife friend to help with enrollment by pulling class cards in the Black and Gold Room. This very part-time seasonal work eventually led to a permanent position in the Registrar’s Office, and she lived for that job for many years. She loved the work, the students, and most especially her co-workers. Some of these ladies and gentlemen became life-long best friends.

Eileen is survived by her children, Michael Deen, Enterprise, AL, Robert Lynn, II, and his husband Jason Legleiter, Westfield, MA, and Jacqueline Eileen, Hays, KS. Also surviving her are her grandsons Michael Griffin and Robert Graem and their mother Shelly Hunt Maxwell, as well as her sister Anita Deen, sister-in-law Berniece Deen, brother-in-law Lee Maxwell, seven nephews, and five nieces.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Richard Deen, her sister, Patricia Coulter, two nieces, and two nephews.

Services will be private and under the direction of Keithley Funeral Homes and Crematory-Brock's Chapel 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601.

Memorial contributions in Eileen’s name may be mailed to: FHSU Foundation, One Tiger Place, PO Box 1060, Hays, KS, 67601. Please designate “Registrar’s Office” as the recipient.

To request a Mass intention please contact St. Joseph’s Catholic Church or Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Hays.

Finally, the family would like to thank the staff at Brookdale and Hays Medical Center’s Hospice Care Team for their loving, kind, compassionate care. You are truly angels among us.

Please share memories on Eileen's tribute page at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com