Richard Wayne Eastman, passed away on Sunday, May 14th, 2017 in Virginia Beach at the age of 66. Richard, also known as Rick by many was born on April 12, 1951 in New York City, New York to Richard Earl Eastman and Dorothy May Eastman.
Richard was married to Sarah Elizabeth Webster-Eastman for more than 30 years. Sarah passed away on October 29, 2014. He is survived by his daughter, Vanessa Marie Poche and her 4 children, Raven, Skylar, Sierra, and James Martin; his step son, Charles Holland Harrell, wife Suzanne, and their children William and Wesley and sister Brenda J. Eastman.
Shortly after losing Sarah, Rick was diagnosed with Gastroesophageal Cancer (Stage 4 with metastases to bones and surrounding organs and tissues). Regardless of his diagnosis, he celebrated life to the fullest and regularly created situations for sharing time together with both family and friends. His passion was cooking and he enjoyed nothing more than creating new dishes for friends and family. He even created a small business around his recipe for BBQ sauce which he named “Flaming Ass”! (No joke, the business was real.) During his battle with cancer, it was important to him to maintain a sense of humor. Many of us will always smile as we remember his rendition of “The Chemo Fairy”, “Pottie Elmo” “Rad Rick”, etc.
While Sarah was the romantic love of his life, Vanessa and Chuck were the primary source of his love and pride as time passed. He openly shared his admiration of their accomplishments with colleagues and friends. However, it was his grandsons, William and Wesley, who captured Richard’s heart and always made him feel youthful. He loved nothing more than playing games with them or attending activities they were involved in.
As the author of his obituary (Brenda, his sister), I would like to relay that I will always be grateful to my “big brother” for the love he shared with me as well as including me in many of his family activities. I knew him as “Rich” because Rick was reserved for friends not “younger sisters”. He enable me to learn much about family and love. To know that life is filled with moments of pleasure as well as heartache, but most of all that we are all human and far from perfect, that the true measure of love is unconditional acceptance. He was the last member of my immediate family and my heart aches over my loss, but he gave me the most cherished possessions he had, his family: Sarah, Vanessa, Chuck, Suzi and their children as well as many of his friends.
I would like to ask that if you have “logged” on to this site, rather than a condolence, please share a memory! Funny, Frustrating, Silly, or Sentimental. Pictures are welcomed as well. Rick would prefer a good laugh or smile over an expression of sympathy. (Just click on Condolences and Tributes" tab.)
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