Eileen Bond: Identities to descend on Perth for funeral at St Patrick’s Basilica in Fremantle on Monday

Social, business and political A-listers from across Australia will descend on a church in Fremantle for Eileen Bond’s funeral on Monday.

Hundreds of mourners are expected to attend St Patrick’s Basilica on Adelaide Street as Mrs Bond is farewelled at 9.30am.

The public funeral mass will be followed by a private burial.

Mrs Bond, whose former husband Alan died in 2015, passed away last Wednesday, four days after having a stroke.

Her death triggered an avalanche of tributes for “Red”, as the effervescent 87-year-old was known for most of her life.

The brash and cheeky mother-of-four will forever be synonymous with Australia II’s America’s Cup win in 1983 and Perth’s subsequent coming of age in the lead-up to the defence in Fremantle four years later.

Born Eileen Teresa Hughes, Red was a regular at social and charity events in WA until the last few months of her life.

Her family were prominent in Fremantle, which is why the funeral is being held in the port city.