Just shy of his 97th birthday, A. Lawrence Eastman passed away on July 9, 2016. Born July 28, 1919, in Boston, Massachusetts, Larry was the only child of Benjamin Smith Eastman and Janet Louise Greenhood. He attended some of New England’s finest schools, including the Rivers School, Moses Brown Academy, and Harvard College, where he completed 3 years as a member of the class of 1942.
He worked for the Bath Iron Works in Maine during World War II building ships. After the war he returned to Boston with his first wife Ruthann MaLette and ran Eastman Funeral Service on Beacon Street in Boston for 15 years. Son Allan Lawrence, Jr. was born in 1948 and son Mark Elliott was born in 1951.
After the family sold the funeral home, Larry eventually started a new career in real estate sales and property management and established Eastman Realty Management. In 1961 he married his second wife Joan Marie Fitzgerald, moved to Arlington, and had two more children: Janet Marie in 1962 and Bradford Scott in 1964.
Larry was an active Kiwanian, a loyal Freemason who played clarinet and oboe in the Shriner band, and later in life an avid ballroom dancer. He derived great satisfaction from helping his children become established in their lives and careers. Always physically fit and active, he walked countless miles through the woods of New England with his beloved canine companions MacDuff, Beau and Becky up until age 94.
Larry was a lovable, kind, funny, patient, supportive and steadfast son, husband, father and friend, and he will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife Joan M. Eastman of Arlington, MA, his children Allan L. Eastman of Lompoc, CA, Dr. Mark E. Eastman (Geraldine O’Shea) of Jackson, CA, Janet M. Eastman and Brad S. Eastman of Santa Barbara, CA, grandchildren Laurel M. Eastman of Cabarete, Dominican Republic, Dr. Amelia S. Eastman (Brian Pickett) of La Jolla, CA, Keiko Marie and Maya Mioko Eastman of Santa Barbara, CA, great-grandchildren Andrew Lawrence (“little A. Lawrence”) and Lindsey Grace Pickett of La Jolla, CA, and dance partner and best friend Geraldine Hebb of Plymouth, MA and her children and grandchildren.
We are eternally grateful to all of the nurses, aides, therapists and caregivers who took care of Larry the last 2 years of his life, including Geri Hebb, Elizabeth Dwyer, Belmira and Christy and everyone from North River Home Care, Overlook Care, Gentiva Hospice and the staff at Brightview Country Club Heights and Laurelwood at the Pinehills and several skilled nursing and rehab facilities where Larry stayed. There will be a private celebration of Larry’s life among his family, and his ashes will be buried alongside his parents at Kearsage Cemetery in North Conway, New Hampshire.