Thomas Beeman Eastman
December 11, 1943-April 30, 2020

In the early morning hours of April 30, 2020, Tom passed away peacefully at home surrounded by those he loved the most — his wife Maura, daughter Amy and his sister Susan. Tom was born in Winfield, Kansas and raised in the small town of Burden, where he attended school. Tom was extremely proud to come from a long line of farmers and teachers. He proudly operated the family farm as he prepared himself for college. While attending Emporia State University, Tom pledged Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity where he made lifelong friends. After graduating with a Business and Economics degree, Tom worked for Boeing Aircraft until he was drafted into the Army. A Vietnam-Era veteran, after discharge, he moved to California’s Gold Country to rejoin his family. He moved to the Bay Area where he held several sales jobs primarily in the area of industrial equipment.

In 1974, he met his soon to be wife, Maura and they married in 1975. By the 1980’s they were ready to leave the hustle of the city, and purchased Fortuna Nursery and Landscaping and The Flower Shop. They soon purchased their home in Ferndale, where the family lives today. Tom took enormous pride in his flourishing gardens, his prize winning begonias and fuchsias. Later in life Tom developed a passion for orchids and collected them along his journeys. In 1985 Tom and Maura welcomed their daughter, Amy into the family. Tom loved watching Amy help her customers at the nursery, many of whom still remember those days.

After the sale of the nursery in 1995, Tom went to work for Tifco Industries, selling industrial supplies to local shops and mills. He enjoyed making sales calls to all of his customers and prided himself on his attention to service and their needs. Tom also worked part-time for J&W Liquors in Ferndale, where he made many friends. He loved this connection to the town, and could even be seen ringing the cow bell in the middle of Main Street for the lotto winners! Tom’s last job before retirement was as the Visitor Center Ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce in Ferndale. This was a special time for Tom as he was able to visit with people from all over the world and tell them the many things he loved about his town. Tom also had a strong connection to Rotary International. He became a Rotarian in 1983 in Fortuna, and eventually transferred his membership to Ferndale. He maintained perfect attendance until his recent illnesses prevented him from making the weekly meetings. Tom was always happy to participate in Rotary functions and could frequently be found selling the drink tickets, especially at the club’s Steak and Lobster event, his favorite of the year. He served as club President in 2003 and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition for his work with the club. These friendships all played an important role in his life and he missed being able to see friends “downtown” or at meetings.

We were blessed with exceptional caregivers throughout Tom’s illnesses, but most especially those within the last few months. Our thanks to Daniel, Elexas and Sabrina for their compassionate care giving, to all the members at the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department who came day or night and to his incredible Hospice team, Christie, Edgar, Allison and other Hospice staff who were instrumental in providing him care. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Mary Eastman, his mother and father in law, Jim and Marion Grady as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins. He is survived by his wife Maura, his daughter Amy (Korsen Yu), and his sister Susan Eastman. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, a small family grave-side service will be held next week and a celebration of life will be planned at a later date. Should you wish to honor Tom’s memory with a donation, please consider Hospice of Humboldt (3327 Timber Fall Court, Eureka, CA 95503) or the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department (PO Box 485, Ferndale, CA 95536).

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Tom Eastman’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.