Florene Jones Eakin

Florene (Flo) Jones Eakin, 94, of Culpeper died peacefully on Saturday, July 23, 2016, at Dogwood Village of Orange County, Virginia. She was born on December 10, 1921, at her family farm on Sinking Creek in Craig County, Virginia, and was a daughter of the late Denny W. and Emily Jones. She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Ashby Eakin; sister, Carolyn Woodruff; brother, Zane M. Jones, and his wife, Millie; and brother Elmer “Bish” Jones. She shared many happy memories of growing up on the farm with her family and friends. Flo attended Maywood School and in 1938 enrolled at Madison College (now James Madison University) to study elementary education and library science. She taught third grade for one year at South Norfolk Elementary School before enlisting in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1943. After basic training, she worked at the Pentagon in Army Counter-Intelligence. Flo and Ashby Eakin were married in December, 1945, in Craig County, and Flo was discharged from the Army the following month. While Ashby attended college at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech), she taught elementary school in Blacksburg. After Ashby graduated, he took a job in Roanoke, where Flo worked as the children’s librarian at the Roanoke Public Library. In the early 1950s, Ashby and Flo relocated to northern Virginia, first to Pimmit Hills and then to Vienna, where they raised their two sons, Roger and Alan. After their children entered school, Flo worked as a substitute teacher in Fairfax before becoming a librarian at Dunn Loring Elementary School. She worked there until she retired in 1978. Flo taught preschool at Epiphany United Methodist Church, where she and Ashby were members. They moved to Culpeper County in 1994 to be closer to family. Flo enjoyed traveling, researching the family genealogy, and visiting and entertaining friends and family. She is survived by her son Roger and his wife, Hazel, of Culpeper; son Alan of Lynchburg; grandson Matthew and his wife, Emily Schy, of Richmond; sister-in-law Ocie Craft Jones of Roanoke; and many nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.

The family extends its sincere gratitude to the staffs at Amerisist of Culpeper and Dogwood Village of Orange County for their devoted care during Flo’s final years.

The family will receive visitors on Thursday, July 28, 6:00 – 8:00, at Clore-English Funeral Home, Culpeper, Va. A Service of Celebration of her life will be held on Friday, July 29, at 12:00 noon at Culpeper Presbyterian Church, Flo’s home church, with the Rev. Dr. R. Wayne Bernardo officiating. Interment will follow at Culpeper National Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Culpeper Presbyterian Church (215 S. Main Street, Culpeper, Va. 22701) or to RRCS Care-A-Van, a program of Rappahannock-Rapidan Community Services (P.O. Box 1568, Culpeper, Va. 22701).