Jim Alan Eaton

Jim Alan Eaton was born on Aug. 21, 1938 in Pampa, Texas to Mildred Grace Eaton and Ray Allen Eaton. He had a five-year old brother Jerry Eaton. The family lived in Texas because Ray was working at the oil refinery. When Jim was six months old his father caught pneumonia and died. Penicillin had not yet been invented.

The family moved from Texas to Arizona when Mildred’s parents moved here. They lived in Glendale for several years eventually moving to greater Phoenix and a home on Cypress Avenue.

Jim went to Arizona State University and worked at the Arizona Republic newspaper. He majored in sociology and minored in psychology and graduated in 1961. He went on to get his master’s degree in psychology. In 1965 he married Pam Eaton and they had two children: Vanessa preceded Jim to heaven and Grant currently lives in Scottsdale with his wife Lacea and their three children Jacob, Catherine and Heather. Jim completed his course work for a doctor’s degree but did not finish his dissertation. Foster son David Waters joined our family while a teenager and is now married to Valentina and they have a daughter Isabella and a son, Liam, on the way.

Jim worked as a heroin addict counselor while working at St. joseph’s Hospital prior to taking a job with the U.S. District Court as a Federal Probation/Parole Officer. When he retired he as the Deputy Chief of U.S. Parole. Tired of doing nothing he went to work for Vocational Rehabilitation after his retirement.

Jim was an active reader and gardener. He was the master of the pun and loved to entertain everyone with his made-up jokes.

Jim is survived by and missed by his family: wife Pam, son Grant, foster son David, son; son-in-law, Benet Press and daughters in law: Lacea, Valentina, Daphne. He is also survived by grandchildren: Jacob Eaton, Heather DeGroote, Catherine DeGroote, Isabella Waters, and Sam Youngblood.