G. Eames

G. WASHINGTON EAMES, JR. passed away on Saturday, December 8, 2012 after lengthy illness including lung cancer. He was a lifelong resident of Baton Rouge, LA. George was born General W. Eames, Jr. on March 12, 1933. He attended McKinley High School, and after 10th grade entered the U.S Army which promptly changed his name to George W. Eames because the Army cant have a Private General. For this reason he adopted G. Washington Eames, Jr. as his official nomenclature, though family and friends always called him Junior or George.
In the Army in 1954, he became an excellent radar tracker at Ft. Meade, was honorably discharged in 1955, and entered Spalding Business College where he was in attendance when he was shot in 1956. He was in Charity Hospital in New Orleans for three years. The experience of being shot and paralyzed while in egress on public property stirred his sense of injustice. His favorite nurse told him as he left the Charity, Junior, you go home and see to it that this injustice never happens to another young man. Thus began his lifetime work in civil rights.
1956 One of the original plaintiffs in the desegregation lawsuit between theNAACP and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
1965 DesegregatedBaton Rouge Police Dept.
1968 Became office manager of the Baton Rouge Branch.
1969 Became program director of the branch.
1976 Became 1st Vice President of the branch.
1979 Became interim President of the branch.
1980 Elected president of the branch.
In the intervening years he desegregated the police dept., fire department, interceded for peoples jobs, desegregated LSU athletic dept. and interceded for athletes, investigated and resolved issues of violence against unarmed blacks, investigated and resolved issues of discrimination in hiring in various businesses, in transportation, in education, in BREC, in the penal system, etc. He was instrumental in getting recognition for Dr. Kings birthday in the parish and school system, establishing annual birthday celebrations, Freedom Fund banquets, and finally activating a Youth Council of over 300 youth and establishing Capital City Baseball which, in the last year of its operation served 45 teams of youth with Leap counseling and sport competitions.
Even as his health began to fail in late 2006, he began a last campaign on behalf of the handicapped, targeting Southern University for poor accessibility, the city of Baton Rouge, especially downtown public facilities, restaurants, and even a cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Theresa Kathy AndreEames, his son Wardell Buckner Eames and his wife Anne, his grandson Andre DeVonte Kinchen, several nieces and nephews, including Debra W. Terrell, and great neice and nephew, Joy Terrell and Sgt. First Class Harrell Terrell. He was preceded in death by his parents General W. Eames, Sr. and Alsie Buckner Eames, and by several beloved brothers and sisters, including Joy Mae Eames and Gloria E. Moore.
Visitation will be held at Resthaven Funeral Home at 11817 Jefferson Hwy. on Friday, December 14, 2012 from 59 p.m. Visitation from 12:001:00 p.m. at True Light Baptist Church, 3762 North St, followed by the funeral at 1:00 at True Light Baptist Church. Interment at Resthaven following the service and repast after interment at True Light Baptist Church.

Visitation

Resthaven Funeral Home
11817 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA  70816
Friday, December 14, 2012
5 pm 9 pm

Service

Visitation

True Light Baptist Church
3836 North Street
Baton Rouge, LA  70806
Saturday, December 15, 2012
12 pm 1 pm

Funeral Service

True Light Baptist Church
3836 North Street
Baton Rouge, LA  70806
Saturday, December 15, 2012
1 pm

Cemetery

Resthaven Gardens of Memory
11817 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA  70816