ATLANTA, GA - Annemarie Eaton, age 102, of Atlanta died Friday March 26, 2010. She was born in Mannheim, Germany, to Carl Alfred and Clara Reis and was married to Paul Theodore Eaton in November 1929.
Photo Courtesy of AJC, Copyright 2010In 1938 the couple, along with their three young children, emigrated from Germany to Atlanta where Mrs. Eaton enrolled in Georgia Tech’s evening school because women were not allowed to be in regular degree programs. She studied industrial engineering and subsequently became a systems analyst for Sears, Roebuck that was located at the time on Ponce de Leon Avenue.. Later she was credit manager at the J.P. Allen Department Store. She returned to graduate school at Georgia State University and earned a master’s degree in gerontology at the age of seventy years old, making her the oldest person to earn a degree from GSU. As her master’s degree project she was one of the founders of the Life Enrichment Services in DeKalb County, an organization that provides programs and services that enhance the lives of seniors. She held a passionate belief that seniors should remain active and engaged, and she lived this belief every day. She became a nationally known gerontologist and served on the White House Council on Aging and was honored by the Georgia General Assembly. She is the author of eight books that relate to aging. Several were written on her computer when she was in her late nineties. GSU Institute of Gerontology established a scholarship in her name. On the occasion of her 100th birthday, both Georgia Tech and Georgia State honored her as being their oldest living alumna. At Tech she was recognized as a Woman of Distinction and she is part of their oral history project.
She also became an internet expert and corresponded via e-mail with friends all over the world.
Her greatest love was her large family and every five years starting with her 80th birthday she invited her widely scattered progeny to an enormous birthday party.
Mrs. Eaton was preceded in death by her husband and by an infant grandson, John Eaton.
She is survived by three children and their spouses, Clairelis and William Baxter, Charles and Marylyn Eaton and Goetz and Carolyn Eaton; by 12 grandchildren and by 22 great-grandchildren. Services will be held at. Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 1722 Oak Grove Road, Decatur GA, Friday, April 9 at 11 AM.
In lieu of flowers, those desiring please make a contribution to the Georgia Tech Living History Program for Annemarie Eaton, Georgia Tech Foundation, 706 Spring St., Suite 400, Atlanta GA 30308; Anne Eaton Scholarship Fund, c/o The Georgia State University Foundation, P.O. Box 3963, Georgia State University, Atlanta GA30302-3963; or Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 1722 Oak Grove Road, Decatur, GA 30033.
Courtesy announcement by THE MC DOUGALD FUNERAL HOME, Anderson, SC.