[1][2][3][4][5] Introduced as a supporting character and older sister to protagonist Joe Riley (Lee Patterson), Eileen Riley Siegel (Roe) is an Irish Catholic married to Jewish lawyer Dave Siegel (Allen Miller) featured in one of the first interfaith marriages on American soap operas.

David serves as the primary legal counsel for dynamic characters on the series, and Eileen as the familial confidante of Joe.

[9][2][10] While on a reporting assignment in California for The Banner in September 1970, journalist Joe is presumed dead after his car drives over a cliff and his body goes missing.

[11] Joe's widow Victoria Lord Riley (Slezak) declares him legally dead and begins dating Steve Burke (Bernard Grant) in 1971, to Eileen's grief as she held out hope her brother survived the crash.

Tim suffers an accident in a fight with Vince Wolek (Jordan Charney) in 1976 that leaves him gravely injured, and he marries Jenny shortly before dying that April.