Mary Katherine "Kappy" Eaton

1924 - 2018

March 9, 1924 -

August 7, 2018

Mary Katherine (Kappy) Eaton, 94, of Eugene, Oregon, passed away at home on August 7, 2018.

Kappy was born in St. Paul, MN on March 9, 1924, to John Frances Girton and Mary Peck Girton. She graduated from University of Minnesota High School and continued on to receive a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Minnesota, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa. She earned an M.S. in Journalism, and a M.S. in Library Science from the University of Oregon. She also attended the St. Paul College of Law.

Kappy married Burt Elliott Eaton of Rochester, Minnesota, on Oct. 18, 1947 in St. Paul, Minnesota. They were married for 64 years until Burt passed away in 2011.

Following college, Kappy worked as a reporter for the Sacramento Bee and the Rochester Post Bulletin. Burt and Kappy moved to Eugene in 1951. She was a professor at the University of Oregon for 15 years where she ran the Bureau of Governmental Research and Service Library and served two terms as president of the Faculty Senate. Kappy was a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority, and served as an alumnae advisor to the University of Oregon chapter for many years.

Kappy was voted Eugene's Young Woman of the Year in 1956, and Eugene's Woman of the Year in 1974. She received the U of O's Distinguished Service Award in 1997, and the Governor's Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award in 2010. In 2007, she was the first Oregonian to win the National Secretaries of State Medallion Award. She received the Lane County Volunteer of the year award, and League of Women Voters Annabel Kitzhaber Education and Advocacy Award.

Her lifelong passion was serving the city, county, state, and country, as a Citizen Advocate. She served as local and state president of both the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women. She was a Founding Board Member of Lane County Camp Fire Girls and served on the National Board for six years. The Governor appointed Kappy to both the Mental Health Advisory Board, and the Tax Policy Task Force.

She served for many years as Board Chair for Common Cause Oregon, helping to champion democracy reform.

Kappy was a tremendous advocate for libraries throughout the Pacific Northwest. She served as President of the Lane County Library Board, and President of the Oregon Library Association. Kappy served as Editor of the PNW Library Association Quarterly from 1985-1996.

For the City of Eugene, Kappy chaired the City Budget Committee from 1988-92, and served on the Special Committee on Restoring Eugene in the 1970's.

The U.S. State Department sent Kappy to Eastern Europe three times from 1993-2000 to work on voter education and to serve as an election observer for the emerging democracies in the region.

She worked to improve the lives of women all over the world. She led workshops at the United Nations Women's Conference in Kenya (1985), and China (1995). Kappy served as AAUW's National ERA coordinator and led workshops and lobbying efforts in over 30 states in the effort to earn ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Kappy testified during every Oregon legislative session for the past fifty years, representing dozens of organizations. She was tireless in her efforts to be a champion for the causes she believed in.

Kappy was also a HUGE Oregon Duck Fan. For over fifty years she attended almost every home football game, as well as every men's and women's basketball game. Burt and Kappy also travelled to most of the bowl games.

Kappy is survived by daughter, Marilee (Rick) Warkentin of Springfield; son, John (Michelle) Eaton of Monroe; and son, David (Julie) Eaton of Lake Oswego.

She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Sean Eaton, A.J. Eaton, Joanna Bullock, Emily Eaton, Justin Eaton, Jason Eaton, and Aaron Warkentin; and one great-grandchild, Serenity Eaton.

The memorial service will be held at 2 PM on August 25th, 2018, at Central Presbyterian Church in Eugene, where Kappy was a long-time choir member and served many years as an elder.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to:

AAUW Kappy Eaton Scholarship at Lane Community College. Checks should be made out to the LCC Foundation, 4000 E 30th Ave, Bldg 19 Room 270 Eugene, OR 97405

or The League of Women Voters of Lane County,

338 West 11th Av. Eugene 97401.

dave@eatongroupreps.com