Althea “Bea” Dawn Tapahonso Eaton, 50, left this world to be reunited with her beloved husband on March 26, 2021.
A viewing will be held for Lawrence family and friends from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana. Funeral and burial services will be held on April 2, 2021 in New Mexico.
Althea was born on February 28, 1971 in Shiprock into a large and loving family on the Navajo Nation. She attended school in Ojo Amarillo where she met her future husband, Fredrico Eaton in the 4th grade. The two graduated from Kirtland High School and later moved to Lawrence, KS, where they married. Althea graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University with a bachelor’s degree in Business. Althea and Fredrico remained in Lawrence where they raised their children. Fredrico died on April 1, 2017 in Lawrence, KS.
Althea immersed herself into her work at Haskell, where she quickly became an integral part of a welcoming student support network. She meticulously managed the student post office and campus printing center for 15 years. Students knew her as a caring and supportive “Auntie” figure on campus who got to know students by name. She also offered her services to Haskell by helping her co-workers and colleagues on committees and various projects on campus. The Haskell community will miss her deep support and dedication.
Althea worked in and around Lawrence, KS since 1994. She worked for the Social Security Administration and EMR, Inc. before joining Haskell. Her life in Lawrence is marked by her wonderful network of friends who quickly became family. Many of those connections are tied to her love of her Denver Broncos. Her departure leaves a huge void in all of the lives Althea touched, influenced, and helped shape.
Althea is preceded in death by her husband, Fredrico Eaton; her maternal grandparents, Eugene, Sr. and Lucille D. Tapahonso; and her father, Henderson Talk.
She is survived by her children Joshua Floyd and Amber Skye; her mother, Marie Tapahonso; her sister Dorothea (Bob) Fox; and her nephews and nieces, Haley, Ethan, Ian and Kylie. She is also survived a close-knit Navajo family that includes 24 brothers and sisters (cousins); a number of nieces and nephews; and a handful of grandchildren.
