Waynesboro lost a model citizen

The News Virginian / News Virginian
Published: January 5, 2008

Carolyn Eavey was just the sort of person every community desperately needs. Never content merely to observe the state of affairs around her, she was a tireless advocate for Waynesboro in an era when many bypassed downtown, allowing the city's hub to slip further into decline.

Eavey founded the Waynesboro Downtown Flag Committee and led the group from 1988 to 2005. Her efforts ensured that the Stars and Stripes fluttered over downtown parking meters on Independence Day and other holidays. She kept a rich slice of Americana pulsing in our town, and she did it without monetary reward.

The Waynesboro High School graduate and Staunton native died Wednesday after an extended illness. Her family's loss is Waynesboro's. But her example abides.

In addition to her work with the flag committee, Eavey served as president of the Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker group, a member of the Waynesboro Beautification Commission, Arbor Day chairwoman of the Wenonah Garden Club and so many other civic groups that we would need another column to cover them.

Rather than idly complaining about problems in her town, Eavey frequently picked up the phone to talk to Waynesboro leaders when she saw something awry.

Eavey's life endures as a symbol of much that could be right about our city and our country. The attention of Americans increasingly is confined to a space within four walls, to television and computer screens, places in the mind isolated from the neighborhoods and real life that make up our communities.

Ask a few neighbors to rattle off the names of locally elected officials. Our guess is that many will be stumped altogether or only able to identify a scant few. Then ask them to talk about what is wrong with our town. That discussion, we suspect, will be an extended one.

Those who want more for their community, who long for a vibrant city with a bustling economy and a real sense of place need only to look to Carolyn Eavey for an example of how they can do their part. Get involved when you see a need, pick up the phone when you see something wrong and, above all, get beyond those four walls and become an active participant in the place called home that lies outside your front door.