James A. Eaton was born in Rutland, Vermont on January 7, 1913 to Charles and Catherine (née Donaro) Eaton. Charles, an Italian immigrant who came to the United States in 1892, worked in the railroad industry as a track foreman. Catherine was born in Vermont, and her father was an Italian immigrant, similar to her husband. Eaton had two older brothers: Anthony,born on January 25, 1908,and Frank,born on June 18, 1909, each of whom were also born in Rutland, Vermont.
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Between 1913 and 1915, the Eaton family moved to Whitehall, New York. Eaton graduated from Whitehall High School in 1931 where he would move on to Green Mountain Junior College in Poultney, Vermont. Afterwards, he attended Ithaca College’s School of Physical Education. He participated in athletics at all three institutions, and after graduating from Ithaca, he became a physical education instructor and athletic coach at Fort Edward High School.
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When Eaton lived in Fort Edward, New York, he did not live alone. He was a lodger living with Jerry and Dorothy Aurelia. However, sometime between 1940 and 1943, he married Anita Gray, the daughter of Lyle Gray and Alice Richmond of North Stonington, Connecticut. They likely met when Anita was working as a teacher in Sidney, New York. They did not have any children.
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