Eileen Bell Saleh Obituary

Eileen Bell Saleh, 46, died on March 29, 2026, at Norwalk Hospital.

She is survived by Benjamin Friedman, her cherished partner of over sixteen years, her beloved mother Linda Bell, her older son Austin Karpel and her younger son, her sister Tracy Bell, her nephews Kyle Minton and Avery Bell, her niece Zada Lee, and Ben's parents, David Friedman and Meira Rosenberg, his sister Marissa Friedman, her husband, and their son, and his brother Josh Friedman. She was predeceased by her brother James Bell, whom she missed dearly.

Eileen loved cooking and eating out, arts and crafts, getting together for holidays, and watching TV and movies, especially horror and suspense movies, and Band of Brothers and Shameless. She was very proud of being able to work as a part-time cashier for a few years until her most recent health problems made it too difficult.

Animals were her passion. She enjoyed trips to the Bronx and Beardsley zoos, petting zoos, and the Maritime Aquarium. Over the years, she and her partner Ben rescued several injured birds that they found on their walks, and a goose that proved to be quite a challenge while it lived in their bathtub for a while. She enjoyed watching generations of the bunny family that lived in their front yard and the mallard duck who visited for several years every spring. She especially loved their cat Snaps.

While her mental health and other issues were a challenge for Eileen and for those who loved her, throughout her life she shared many moments of fun and joy with her loved ones. Special thanks to all who worked in many ways to support her from the Connecticut Mental Health Waiver Program and to the Norwalk Hospital ICU.

Her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Wednesday, April 8, at St. Philip Church, One Father Conlon Place in Norwalk.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Eileen's memory made be made to Person to Person, https://p2phelps.org or Pet Rescue, https://ny-petrescue.org.