Eunice June Dayton

Memorial services will be Saturday, November 11, 2017, at 11:00am at Mount Moriah, Newcomer and Freeman Funeral Home. Family and friends can visit prior to the service from 10:00am - 11:00am.

Eunice "YaYa" June Dayton was born October 1, 1929, in Seattle Washington, to William and Caroline (Bell) Baze. She was one of five children and is predeceased by her brothers Don Carnahan, Gordon Baze, and Jessie Baze. She is survived by her sister Lila Ronish. As a young single woman in her 20's, Eunice left the United States to work in North Africa and began an adventure that would shape her life. In her work for the US Department of Defense, Eunice had the opportunity to travel the world. She met Russell Dayton in Port Lyautey, Morocco, and they married soon after meeting. The following January 1957, while still in North Africa, they were blessed with a daughter, Cynthia Lynn, who predeceased Eunice. The family then moved to Naples, Italy, where they were blessed with a son, David Rufus, in 1961. Eunice and her family traveled extensively throughout Europe, and she lived and worked in Morocco, Italy, Germany and Spain prior to her retirement when she returned to the United States. She moved to the Kansas City area to be close to her children and grandchildren. Eunice and Russell ended their marriage, but remained good friends and often enjoyed movies, dinner, and lively political discussions together.

Eunice doted on the loves of her life, her grandchildren, Kristen Dayton, Nicholas Dayton, and Alexandria Dayton who will always know her as YaYa. In her eyes her grandchildren could do no wrong, and the love she showered on them was returned thousand-fold. Eunice was a voracious reader, particularly of history and politics; she was a skilled oil painter and enjoyed passing on her knowledge and guidance to her grandkids and to those who came in contact with her. Eunice shared her enjoyment of life and love of traveling through her stories and adventures. We will all greatly miss her guidance, strength, love and support. She was truly an inspirational person to everyone who knew her.

Eunice is survived by her sister, Lila Ronish; her son, David Dayton (Wendy); her grandchildren Kristen Dayton, Nicholas Dayton, and Alexandria Dayton; her ex-husband, Russell Dayton; many nieces, nephews, fellow red-hat ladies, and many, many friends.

Memorial contributions may be made in Eunice's name to Wayside Waifs, 3901 Martha Truman Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 64137, or the Kansas City Hospice House, 1500 Meadow Lake Parkway, Suite 200, Kansas City, Missouri 64114.