Obituary of Richard L. Eaton

Richard L Eaton Ithaca - May 14 1960 - December 28 2021 Richard L Eaton, 61, died at home on December 28, 2021. He was born May 14, 1960 in Methuen, Massachusetts, son of David Eaton and Diane (Struss) Eaton. Rich and his brother David grew up in Deerfield, NH. One year ago Rich was diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumor. Cancer took him away from us much too soon. Rich graduated from The Derryfield School in Manchester, NH, Class of 1978. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Cornell University in 1982 and a Masters of Science in Computer Graphics from Cornell University in 1988. Rich married Donna (Meachum) Eaton in 1986 and they settled in Ithaca, NY. They celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary on July 29, 2021. Rich leaves behind not only his wife, Donna but also his daughter, Jennie and son, Corey. We miss him already. Rich worked for 30 years as a software engineer at Cornell University where he helped develop theorem-proving software. According to Bob Constable, Rich's manager, "Rich was a critical player in our small research group. There would have been no Nuprl system without him. Over 40 PhD students worked on the Nuprl system. Rich made their work possible, and they applied and amplified many of Rich's ideas." To learn more about Nuprl, visit: http://www.nuprl.org/ Due to an abundance of caution to protect against Covid there will be no in-person service. Instead, we invite friends and family to browse through photos of a family who enjoyed growing up together at https://richardleaton.blogspot.com/. They show a well-lived (if too short) life. Feel free to share comments, stories and memories. Those who wish to remember Rich in a special way may make donations in his memory to Hospicare in Ithaca, NY (https://www.hospicare.org/donate/). The hospice nurses helped make his last weeks more comfortable. They were awesome!!! Alternatively, local Ithacans can contribute non-perishable food or winter clothing to Tompkins/Cortland Sharing Cabinets (https://mutualaidtompkins.com/food-sharing/locations). Rich was a great believer in re-use rather than throw-away. He liked helping others whenever possible.