SCARBOROUGH — Arlene (Clayton) Eager of Scarborough and Smithtown, New York, died at her Scarborough home Jan. 6, following a long illness. Eager was born in Brooklyn, New York, March 5, 1939, to William P. and Irene (Graham) Clayton.

Eager was a devoted mother and professional. While raising her three spirited children, she earned a master’s degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook. She pursued a career in academic administration and retired from Fordham University in New York City as the associate dean of the Graduate School of Business.

Arlene had a passion for poetry and loved the friends she made leading the advanced poetry workshop in The Round Table Program at Stony Brook University. Her poems have appeared in The Hudson Review, Atlanta Review, The Southern Review, Critical Quarterly, The Gettysburg Review and several anthologies and other publications.

Arlene cherished her friends from Higgins Beach and the wonderful memories she and her husband, Bill, shared walking their dog, Sonny, on the beach.

She is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, William J. Eager; a daughter, Karen, of Arlington, Massachusetts; two sons, William, of East Aurora, New York, and Scott, of Scarborough; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service and interment will be held in the spring.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Hospice of Southern Maine (hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/donations-volunteering).

Eager

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