Kay Eatmon 10/18/1942 – 2/19/2024

Kay was a lifelong student and educator. She was born on October 18, 1942, in Huntington Park, California, to "O.V." and "Dot" Campbell, followed by her beloved younger brother Bob. Urged to learn by her parents, her love of words on the page and in her mind sparked a journey into journalism and then quickly to her life's calling: education.

Los Angeles was the setting of her first year as an elementary teacher, an experience that indelibly imprinted itself onto Kay's heart and future—faced with the complex realities of students whose home lives and poverty directly impacted their ability to keep up served as an early reminder that for her, the job of being a teacher must extend beyond the classroom and into the hearts and lives of her children's holistic education in a way. Los Angeles classrooms shifted to Lompoc elementary schools as she moved north for a new opportunity. With the move in 1970, came her first child, Chris, and new knowledge to gain. Pressing ahead, she raised a child while earning her master's in special education and teaching. Her second child, Matt, came 11 years later, and as her sons grew, so did her accomplishments. transitioning from teaching to mentoring teachers and finding her true partner in love, Richard Eatmon.

1987, these two educators met, and two families united, with three teens and two six-year-olds. But in her mind, her children extended far beyond that household. From those first classes in Los Angeles to the next chapter in Lompoc, she truly believed that her students were family, and the impact was felt. The most significant achievement she held was her next assignment: as a teacher, then Principal of Maple High School. Seen through a dim and intentionally ignored lens by the school district, she took the children and the campus as her own and poured her heart and knowledge into it. Her monumental pushes led to unparalleled achievements on top of accreditation, with the State recognizing the school and student's accomplishments as the Model Continuation/Alternative High School. Each student from Maple, class after class, forever became the light for Kay. Almost guaranteed were multiple stops per day with former students seeing and pausing with her in public. Greetings, memories, and hugs, each shared, sometimes accompanied by tears. These are constant reminders of the reciprocal care and love that Mrs. Eatmon had with her "kids."

She retired from the school district and departed from her last posts on the school board and teaching at Allan Hancock College in 2012, with an educational family of teachers and students extending far beyond the city limits, leading to more student visits as the years progressed. Her life outside of education was filled with the love of her best friend, with Richard always connected at her hip. With that same passion that struck her in Los Angeles, she worked in support of social and racial justice, active in the Valley of the Flowers Church. She loved walking outdoors, embarking on 9-day road trips or rounds of 9 holes at the country club. Her love and life echoed in joyful experiences surrounded by close-knit friends and family. As her mind began to slip with an Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2015, she did what she could to bring joy and care to her community and friends.

Kay is survived by her husband, Richard Eatmon; sons Christopher Smith and Matthew Comer; stepchildren Candice Evans, Michael Eatmon, and Jon Eatmon; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A viewing will be held at Starbuck-Lind Mortuary on April 12, 2024, from 5–7 p.m. Kay's Celebration of Life will be held the following day at the Valley of the Flowers UCC, 3340 Constellation Rd., Lompoc, on April 13, 2024, at 11 a.m. In place of flowers, the family has asked that you donate to the charity of your choice.