Edward C. Eaves, Sr., 81, passed away August 27, 2025, sometime after having written the following obituary for himself:

I was born September 5, 1943 in Salisbury, NC, the only child of Harold Carson Eaves, GMC and Louise Koontz Eaves, who passed away in '58 & '83 respectively.  I was always called Eddie, as a Navy brat who had lived in Honolulu, Tacoma, and Charleston before settling in Portsmouth at the age of nine.

I graduated from Cradock High School in 1962, where I lettered in football, wrestling, and track, and was honored to be co-captain of the football team.   I then went to Frederick College on a four-year football scholarship, and graduated with a BS degree in business administration in 1967.

I began my banking career as a management trainee in 1968 and became a branch manager in 1970. While at Dominion Bank in Virginia Beach for the next ten years, I started focusing more on helping entrepreneurs finance locally-owned businesses.  In 1980, I was transferred to Portsmouth where I became an area manager, and in 1985 I was promoted to the title of regional executive officer for Portsmouth and Chesapeake.  I have always cherished dealing with owner-operator small business customers in various industries and had a tremendous amount of respect for what it took for them to be successful.    My job was to understand their needs, challenges, and opportunities, so I could try to help finance them to success, and thus build longterm relationships that were mutually beneficial.

Dominion Bank was acquired in 1993, and I had the good fortune to join the relatively young but very successful Commerce Bank as a senior vice president and commercial loan officer, now working full time with entrepreneurs.   In 1999, the talented management team I had been with since 1993 started TowneBank, and I was fortunate to be in the starting line-up, as an executive vice president.  I continued to enjoy working with some highly effective bankers throughout my career and serving some great small business owners, until my retirement at the end of 2013, after 45-years in banking.   TowneBank did keep me on for four more years on a part-time basis as a consultant and doing some training, which was a very nice transition.

While I enjoyed a rewarding career and worked with some outstanding people, I was blessed with a family that is so dear to me.   My beautiful and awesome wife Dulce Rue Davis and I were married on February 3, 1968, and have thus enjoyed over 56 years together.  She has always been there for her brothers and sisters, our children, grandchildren, and me.  Dulce has fiercely stood by everyone and tried to support whatever was needed.  She is one of the older siblings in a family of fourteen kids and has always been especially gifted in dealing with young children.  She became a devout Montessori teacher, and had her own school for several years.  Our three sons, Carson, Scott and Ryan all adore their mother, while she fortunately had a big hand in caring for our four grandchildren in Hailey, Trey, Emmy and Avery as they were growing up.  We are both so proud of all of them, plus our great-grandson Maverick, who is a gift to everyone!

Dulce and I were married in Saint Paul Catholic Church, but early in our marriage we became and remain members of the Church of St. Therese, and I converted to Catholicism in 1976.  I enjoyed playing guitar and singing with an ensemble at weekly Mass for several years during the seventies, while later joining with Fr. Jim Griffin as chairman of a building committee from 1993-1997, as we completely renovated and expanded  the Church's facilities.

Another membership that has enhanced my life is the Rotary Club of Portsmouth, which I joined in 1987.  I am grateful for the many friends I made in Rotary, the work we have done in the community, and the wonderful effect Rotary International has had throughout the world.  Finally, just after graduating from college, I was able to stay close to a sport and an experience that had been so rewarding to me by being a Virginia High School League football official for twelve years.  Thus, I have had a blessed life and I am so grateful to everyone I shared it with!

A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated 11:00 a.m. Thursday, September 11, at St. Paul Catholic Church, 522 High St., Portsmouth. The family will proceed to a private burial immediately following Mass and afterwards will join friends for a reception at Church of the Resurrection, 3501 Cedar Ln., Portsmouth. Condolences may be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com.