First Lady
For 10 years, Sharon Eaton has used
her gift of hospitality to make
friends for Seattle Pacific
WHEN PHILIP EATON BECAME Seattle Pacific�s president in 1996, he
wasn�t the only Eaton with a vision for the University. �We were both
excited about the challenges of the job and the opportunity to make an
impact on the future of SPU,� explains his wife, Sharon Eaton.
A first-time first lady, Eaton brought to the task a simple philosophy:
�I see my role as a supportive one,� she explains. �First and foremost,
supportive of my husband in every way I can be, and also supportive of
his initiatives however possible.�
Eaton, who taught elementary school for 15 years before becoming
an interior designer in Phoenix, Arizona, says SPU �s commitment to
grace-filled community is something she takes to heart � every day.
That means drawing on her gift of hospitality as she welcomes faculty,
staff, students, and other visitors to Hillford House, the presidential
home. �In the 10 years Phil has been president, we have had more than
15,000 people into our home,� she says.
Also at the top of her list is joining her husband as they �make new
friends for the University� while maintaining friendships with longtime supporters.
�Phil is challenged to develop the next generation of partners for
the University,� she notes, �and I am working side by side with him in this.�
But, as with any job, there are challenges. �We are still learning how
to manage the demands of being the �first couple,�� laughs Eaton, who
enjoys reconnecting with her husband over dinner when they both have
a free evening. �We always discuss what we are excited about as well
as what is challenging at the moment. I love that we can share those
things together.�
Eaton and her husband also share a love of great literature. On her
reading list these days is Simply Christian by N.T. Wright, Christ the Lordby Anne Rice, and a book of quotes by Pope John Paul II . Unlike her husband,
however, Eaton doesn�t describe herself as a poetry fan. Still, she
does have a soft spot for a certain poet: �Some of my favorite poems
are personal ones that my husband has written for me on special occasions
� to tear-jerking effect.�
Beyond wife, mother of three sons, and first lady, Eaton also wears
another important hat: grandmother. �Being a grandparent [to five
grandchildren] has been a surprisingly delightful stage in life,� she says.
On a recent trip to England to visit one of the couple�s sons and his
wife, they were given a tour of Oxford by grandson Andrew � a firstgrader.
�We were amazed,� she remembers, �at how he knew his way
around Oxford on foot and could take us on a tour and point out interesting
sights all by himself.�
When she looks back on a decade at Seattle Pacific, Eaton says she
can see God at work. �This is a wonderful community of bright, committed,
and caring people who are bonded in their Christian faith and this
place. What a gift to be part of it!�
By Sarah Jio
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