Mary Ann Centers, 93, Longtime Fitzwater Office Manager and Church Member

Mary Ann Centers, 93, died January 15, 2026, leaving a legacy of steady service to local business and church life in Adams County. As office manager for Fitzwater Tree Service, later Fitzwater Tree & Lawn Care, she began work in 1961 and retired after a 47-year career, a span that tied her to multiple generations of employees and customers across Eaton and West Union.

Born Mary Ann Caplinger on May 1, 1932, in West Union, she was the eldest of seven children of Adrienne and Albert Caplinger. She professed her life to Christ at an early age and was a long-serving member of Covenant of Peace Church in Eaton, where she held several roles over the years and maintained close friendships with fellow congregants. Her personal life included three marriages: to Robert A. Kirker in May 1950, with whom she spent 46 years until his death in 1997; to Thomas "Tommy" Centers in 2003, for 12 years until his death in 2015; and to James Arnett in 2016, for eight years until his death in 2024.

Centers' professional longevity at a single local employer is notable in a county where small businesses form the backbone of the economy. Her decades in the Fitzwater office provided continuity in customer service, record keeping and community relationships that smaller operations often rely on but rarely document. The departure of long-tenured staff like Centers can create gaps in institutional memory and administrative know-how, underscoring a broader challenge for Adams County businesses as older workers retire and succession planning becomes more urgent.

Her faith-based volunteerism also illustrates the role churches play as civic anchors in the county. Congregations such as Covenant of Peace often double as informal service networks, supporting food drives, intergenerational programs and social ties that bolster civic engagement. The passing of a committed member can ripple through those networks, affecting volunteer capacity and the preservation of local traditions.

Centers is survived by her son Randy Kirker and his wife MaryJane, as well as sisters, brothers and other relatives. Visitation was held January 19, 2026, with funeral services the same day; burial took place January 20 at West Union Cemetery. Gard Funeral Home in Eaton and Lafferty Funeral Home in West Union assisted with arrangements.

For readers, Centers' life is a reminder of the quiet, sustained labor that keeps local institutions functioning. As Adams County adapts to shifting demographics, maintaining the civic and administrative infrastructure built by residents like Centers will be essential to preserving community services and the social fabric they support.