Obituary: Georgia (Roy) Eustis, 1932-2021 |  Obituaries |  Seven days

Georgia (Roy) Eustis, 89, died on November 6, 2021 in Burlington, Vt. She was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the only child of Theodore and Muriel Roy, who met while performing for Ziegfeld’s Follies.

Georgia has been known for her musical talent, imagination, entertaining skills, amazing writing skills, and unwavering loyalty to friends all her life. Her unbelievable joie de vivre, curiosity and ability to learn were trademarks. She lived a full life and never lost her amazement.

She attended Chapel Hill Boarding School and studied classical piano during her formative years. At 18 she won the International Young Artists Award, which earned her admission to Julliard. Feeling that she did not want to play the piano professionally, she instead attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she met her future husband Arthur G. Eustis of Waterville, Maine. She was a member of Sigma Kappa and the Colbyettes, an a cappella group for which she made most of the arrangements.

She and Arthur married in 1954 and moved to Chicago, Illinois when he became a Midwestern sales representative for Hathaway Shirts, the company he worked for until his death in 1974. The years she spent in Chicago were some of her happiest, and the friends there they stayed friends all their lives. They welcomed four daughters there before moving to New York when Arthur was named vice president of sales. They lived in Larchmont and in 1962 they welcomed a son by adoption. It was also the year the family began spending the Maine summers at East Pond camp, a time of year when the family is valued for the next 40 years

In New York, Georgia became very active in the choir, sacristy, and Sunday school of St. James the Less Church. Her episcopal faith was an important part of her life and one that gave her great strength in good times and bad. She became a Girl Scout when her girls were old enough to participate. Somehow she also found time to graduate from Columbia with a degree in Japanese literature!

As a good corporate woman, she excelled at entertaining the many salespeople and buyers who worked with Arthur. She and Arthur were also famous for their themed costume parties (“Come on as your favorite sport”, “Come on as your favorite song”). Since she never had a birthday party in her childhood, she outdid herself with theme and costume parties for her children’s birthdays. When the children were older, she began teaching in a preschool attended by many children of UN diplomats, where her imagination was welcome.

After Arthur’s untimely death in 1974, she moved the family to Falmouth, Maine, and continued to work in preschool. After a few years she received divine inspiration to become a nurse. After attending full-time nursing school while raising four children at home, she became a nurse – just weeks before her 50th birthday! She nursed in both Maine and Florida until she retired at the age of 62 and then moved entirely to Florida. After retiring, she taught practical nursing in Florida and continued teaching in Albuquerque, NM until she was 85 years old.

In 2016, Georgia moved to Vermont, where she spent the rest of her life.

Georgia was pre-dead from her parents; her husband Arthur; and her little daughter Paula; as well as other family members. She leaves behind her daughters Kimberly (William) Rockwood, Lisanne Eustis and Melinda (Perry) Williams; and her son Galen Eustis. She also leaves two grandchildren, Josh (Hannah) Eustis and Jake (Jordan Harvey) Eustis. She also leaves her brother-in-law Jon Eustis (Paula); Nieces and nephews; and their families.

At Georgia’s request, the services will be private.

Since Georgia survived cancer three times, honorary donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, 55 Day Lane, Williston, VT 05495. Elmwood-Meunier is responsible for the services.