Richard W. Eaton

Richard W. Eaton, age 82, passed away on October 6th after a brief illness. He was the son of the late Chester W. Eaton and the late Blanche (Salt) Eaton, and the loving husband of Nancy Lee (Carter) Eaton, his devoted wife of 60 years. Born and raised in Needham, Dick graduated from Needham High School in 1950, and went on to attend Dartmouth College, graduating in 1954. Upon graduating from Dartmouth, Dick became a funeral director and partner at Eaton Funeral Home in Needham. He later left the funeral home business to join EF Hutton as a Certified Financial Planner. He enjoyed a very successful career with EF Hutton, eventually leaving that firm to join Advantage Capital as an independent advisor, until his retirement in 1999. He was also elected a Needham Town Meeting member, and was a lifelong resident of that community until he and his wife Nancy Lee retired to Pocasset, MA and Holmes Beach, FL. During his many years as a resident of Needham, he was very active in several community, religious, and charitable organizations, among them the Needham Little League, the Carter Methodist Church, a Master of the Norfolk Masonic Lodge, and as president of the Needham Pool & Racquet Club. But Dick was a man who could never be defined solely by his professional accomplishments and associations. Family was everything to him. Affectionately known as 'Pops' to his grandchildren, he never missed an opportunity to spend quality time with them, whether it was in Florida or on Cape Cod. He attended scores of their soccer and baseball games, and an almost countless number of dance recitals, and always with a smile. And like many New Englanders, Dick was a devout Red Sox fan, and could talk for hours about the current state of the team, the prospects they had in their farm system, and what they needed to do to improve the team. He also enjoyed outdoor pursuits like fishing and playing golf, especially with family members. He was always especially proud of being a graduate of Dartmouth College, and he followed his alma mater's athletic teams with immense pride. Dick is also survived by his sister, Barbara (Eaton) Emerson of Pocasset, MA, as well as his four children: William W. Eaton and his wife, Kathy (LeTellier) Eaton of Warwick, RI; Richard C. Eaton and his wife, Kathy (Miller) Eaton of Asheville, NC; Gary L. Eaton and his wife, Elinor (Ng) Eaton of Dover, MA; and Janice (Eaton) Hobaica and her husband, David Hobaica of Mansfield, MA. He also leaves nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. His kind and generous spirit will be greatly missed by all of his family and the many friends who knew him. A Memorial Service will be held in the Carter Memorial United Methodist Church, 800 Highland Avenue, Needham on Saturday, October 11th at 11:00 AM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in memory of Dick to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to support cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or via their online gift form.