Patricia Eames “was incredibly committed to her family and did not shy away from hard work,” her children wrote. She was a waitress at Fromm’s and Estia in Amagansett and the Buoy in East Hampton, and she was one of the many women here who were active in Amagansett’s commercial fishing community, often accompanying her husband, Donald Eames, on his boat for scalloping trips, helping to cull the haul, and then opening countless bushels back on shore.
She was known to spend many days helping to prepare quarts of clam chowder to share with family and friends.
Mrs. Eames, who was 85, had been in declining health and died at home in East Hampton on Feb. 28.
She was born in Amityville on June 11, 1937, to Robert and Mary Smith, and grew up in Lindenhurst, graduating from Our Lady of Perpetual Help, a Catholic school there.
Mr. Eames, a South Fork native, was in the Navy when the couple met. They were married on July 30, 1955, and moved to Amagansett, eventually settling in a house on Handy Lane in the 1960s. They had two sons and a daughter.
Mrs. Eames was active in the American Legion Post 419 Ladies Auxiliary for over two decades and served for a time as its vice president. “Together with her closest friends, she ensured the longevity of this community organization and organized fund-raising events to support educational scholarships, service projects, and American Legion members,” her family wrote. “She also instilled the value of civic engagement in her family, and supported the membership of her grandchildren into the Ladies Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion throughout their childhood.”
A fan of movies, especially in the suspense and horror genre, she counted Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King films among her favorites. “On any given day she could be found rewatching ‘Dark Shadows’ or ‘The Godfather’ series,” her family said.
Interested in history, she read biographies and watched historical films, in particular ones that explored the Civil War and Reconstruction era. She was also a great card player, enjoying games of pinochle with her husband and friends and later teaching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren games like Skip-Bo, Uno, and solitaire.
“Her greatest joy, though, was hosting family and friends, especially for Christmas Eve,” her family remembered. “She would have a full house all day with family and friends dropping by to say hello, having a bite to eat, and sharing more than a few laughs. If you couldn’t make it, she would drop off lasagna to you, often making 30 pans of lasagna throughout the week. She always wanted to be sure the holidays were happy for all, and she worked all year long to make sure the joy of the holidays was spread.”
After retirement, she took great pleasure in watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She enjoyed staying close to home, but in later years took a few memorable road trips with family in the South, including a long-talked-about visit to the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.
Her husband died in 2011. Mrs. Eames is survived by her sons, Donald Eames Jr. of the Woodlands, Tex., and David Eames of Ithaca, N.Y., and by her daughter, Patty Eames of Sedona, Ariz. She also leaves nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandchild, as well as a sister, Rita Smith of Amityville.
Her family received visitors on March 3 at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton. Mrs. Eames was cremated and her ashes will be spread along with those of her husband.
Her family has suggested contributions to the American Legion Post 419 Ladies Auxiliary Book Scholarship, 15 Montauk Highway, East Hampton 11937, East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach 11978, or the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons at arfhamptons.org.
