Aileen Karen Asselin passed away peacefully in San Bruno on April 30. She was 95 years old, and for the last year of her life had received in-home care from her daughters. Strong and independent, she’d lived on her own until age 94. Ill health took her mobility, but her mind remained active and inquisitive. She loved having spirited discussions of current issues. She was kind to everyone.
Born Aileen Karhu in Daisytown, Pennsylvania, she moved to Finland at age 2 with parents John and Bertha, returning to live in New York City at age 8. The family moved to a dairy farm in Woodstock, Connecticut, where she learned the value of hard work. She graduated from Woodstock Academy and worked several jobs, including at American Optical in Southbridge, Massachusetts. She married Joseph Asselin and the couple made their home in Southbridge, where their daughters were born.
She spent her daughters’ early childhood as a stay-at-home mother, instilling values of intellectual curiosity and life-long learning. She helped them develop innate talents and pointed them toward their eventual careers. The family moved to Phoenix, Arizona for four years, then to San Bruno where Aileen lived for more than 60 years. Throughout her life, she developed and enjoyed deep, lasting friendships.
While working full-time at the Bank of America, Aileen earned her bachelor’s degree in finance at San Francisco State University. This achievement helped her develop her career, and she rose in the organization to a responsible position in the bank’s insurance division. She retired at age 68 to devote herself to club work, where her financial talents came into play. She learned upholstery and meticulously restored furniture as a hobby.
A loving and supportive presence in her daughters’ lives, she was always available for vacations, outings, long talks and meals together. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends. She is survived by Gail Easton of San Jose and Sharon Rummery of San Bruno.
(0) entries
Sign the guestbook.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.