Obituary of Irene Mae Eaton
Irene Mae Eaton, of West Orange, NJ, formerly of Manchester, TN and Flushing, MI, passed away peacefully in her home on Monday, April 7, 2025. She was 95 years old.
Irene was born in Flint, MI to Oscar and Leona (nee Kaake) Wilhelm in February 1930. She was the only surviving child of a triplet birth. Like most children of the Great Depression, she experienced hardship and deprivation. Home life wasn't easy either. But out of those experiences, a great generosity of spirit and empathy for people emerged. Irene was known for the love she showed to all. To her, no one was a stranger.
Irene was educated in the Flint school system and she attended Baker Business College in Flint. Irene worked in real estate, but Christian ministry was her life calling. She was a "prayer warrior", who touched countless lives literally across the country. It was not uncommon for Irene to walk into a room of strangers and ask in a loud voice, "Who needs prayer?" And there would always be takers. With her close friend Pat, she traveled from state to state to prayer meetings and other gatherings, offering unconditional love, encouragement, and solace to those in need. Most recently, she was a beloved member of the Full Gospel Church in Livingston, NJ.
Irene raised four children - three sons and a daughter - and played a pivotal role in the lives of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. To her great grandchildren, she was known as Beans, because her great grandson could not pronounce Irene and the name stuck. Irene was the reader and rocker, the "Twist Queen of Evergreen Valley", who was 
always up for a "hamburg sandwich", milkshake, or ice cream with the kids on after school pick-up trips.
Irene was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, Joyce and Helen, Francis and another triplet sister with whom she came into the world, and her first and second husbands, John Lee Warren Grabiel and Charles Eaton. Left to cherish her memory are sons John (Rebecca), Jeff, and Scott Grabiel of Naples, FL; daughter Lynnette (Richard) Best of West Orange, NJ; daughter-in-law Lee Grabiel; grandchildren Rene, Elizabeth, Grace, Tim, Sarah, Jordan, Christopher and Melissa; and her enduring legacy, great grandchildren Max, Hazy, Margot, Thomas, Theo, Poppy, Walker, Stella, Remy, Everett, Archie, Taylor, and Silas. She is also survived by her nieces, Joyce Lynn, Cheryl, Sandy, and Wendy, who she loved as her own; and her lifelong friends Barbara Maake and Anna Lee Todd, with whom she shared numerous laugh-filled misadventures.
Several years ago, Irene suffered a health crisis. Her heart stopped during a surgery and attempts to restart it failed. But as the doctors were preparing to pronounce her, she suddenly revived. Her primary care physician, who was attending patients in the hospital that day and in the operating room at the time, later commented that Irene was her first ever patient to go to God and return. She has gone to God again, where she now rests in eternal peace.
Irene’s Memorial Service will be announced. Arrangements were handled by Codey Funeral Home of Caldwell. To share condolences and memories, please visit CodeyFuneralHome.com.
