Ardith (Art) Wayne Eaton, 88, of Silver City, NM peacefully entered his eternal rest on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at his home in Silver City with his wife by his side.
Art was born in Ray, Arizona on October 23, 1929 to Shirley and Belva Eaton.
Born to a blacksmith at the start of the Great Depression, Art's youth was defined by his family's many moves throughout the Western United States before settling in San Francisco, CA. There he ascended to the highest rank in the ROTC at Commerce High School. He then served in the United States Air Force as a High-Speed Morse Code Intercept Operator in Darmstadt, Germany and upon his return, with the help of the GI Bill, earned an Electronic Engineering degree from The University of California, Berkeley.
In the mid-1950's Art went to work at General Electric, where he helped develop the magnetic numerical routing system printed on the bottom of bank checks. He developed management and digital circuitry engineering skills at Raytheon (Santa Ana, CA) before his talents took him to Dallas, TX as Vice President of a specialty scale company. He custom designed scales for weighing everything from moving railroad cars to a postage stamp. In 1974 he founded E&G Services, Inc. to service those scales.
In the early 1980's, Art accepted a job at Western Geophysical/Litton in Houston, TX. In 1991 he married Kathy Creasser and in 1996 they headed west and he retired in Silver City. There they fell in love with the people as much as the "four gentle seasons."
Art's analytical brilliance was balanced with a child-like joy. He was quick to entertain anyone, anywhere. He was famous for his jokes, limericks, and humorous poetry, and would spontaneously break into dance as he entered a grocery store, doctor's office, or anywhere he could share his infectious smile. He loved people, and they loved him.
Retirement did not slow him down. From Alaska to Tahiti, Art and Kathy traveled the world. He backpacked Yosemite National Park, he was a frequent medalist in the Senior Olympics (table tennis and horseshoes), and was an active square dancer.
Art had a passion for music. He loved singing, playing the guitar and piano, and shared his talents with all who knew him. Until his final days, Art and his children shared sing-a-longs that were priceless.
Art cared deeply about mankind. He was a published author on his theory of societal happiness and served as treasurer for the Grant County Democratic party. Art and Kathy frequently volunteered both labor and funds to Vote Smart, a non-partisan, non-profit organization whose mission is "to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to all Americans."
He is survived by his wife Kathryn (Kathy) Eaton; his sister Phyllis Hards; daughter Ann Seymore (husband Charles, son Paul and wife Brittany); daughter Susan Prince (husband, Manuel, son and daughter Jake and Leslie); and son David Eaton (wife, Karen). Through 26 years of marriage, Art was the beloved stepfather and grandfather to Kathy's children, Jim Creasser (wife Caroline, children Blake and Dillon); and Mike Creasser (wife Tanya, son Michael.) Art is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews.
Art was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Lorna Miller.
Art loved unconditionally and was loved unconditionally.
Kathy will host a gathering to celebrate Art's life at her home Sunday, July 8, 2018, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Please bring your favorite stories of Art to share in an informal home setting.
For those who are inclined, in lieu of flowers, a donation in Art's name may be made to Vote Smart (votesmart.org) or the charity of your choice.