Everett Raymond Eastman passed away Sunday, July 5, 2026 at age 95. He was born to Darius Eastman and Erma (Hasley) Eastman at his maternal grandparent’s farmhouse in Wayne Township, Wisconsin on July 4, 1931.
As a youth he earned pocket money mowing lawns, delivering the Milwaukee Journal, even selling garden seeds. He did odd jobs for grocer Tom Lacy (candled eggs among other duties), and for his great-uncle Sam Johnson in his butcher shop.
Everett was active in the Boy Scouts & 4-H, raising hogs & calves on his father’s farm. He showed animals at the Lafayette and Green County Fairs and at the Wisconsin State Fair. He was elected Freshman class Treasurer & Senior Class President at South Wayne High School; graduating as Valedictorian in 1949. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in June, 1953 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry. He was employed by E.I. DuPont as an Ammonia Oxidation Chemist at the Indiana Ordinance Works at Charlestown, Indiana making smokeless gun powder for the US Military.
Everett entered the US Army in February, 1954; taking basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He served as Communications Chief in an Anti-Aircraft Battalion at Fort Bliss, Texas and was honorably discharged in February, 1956 with rank of Corporal. After returning from the Army, he rejoined DuPont as a Laboratory Shift Supervisor until the plant closed due to the end of the Korean War.
Jeanette Wiseheart and he were married in New Albany, Indiana on October 26, 1957. They moved to Tuscola, Illinois where he was employed as a Group Leader in the Polymer Services Laboratory of U.S. Industrial Chemicals, a division of National Distillers. He was promoted to Laboratory Superintendent and transferred to a new Polyethylene Plant in Deer Park, Texas. After 10 years with USI, he left there to become the Quality Assurance Coordination/Group Leader in Dow Chemical’s Polyethylene Department in Plaquemine, LA, Sarnia, and Fort Saskatchewan, Canada, Tarragona, Spain, Terneuzen, The Netherlands, Concepcion, Chile, Barrancabermeja, Columbia, KRK, Yugoslavia, and Seoul, Korea. Later he went to Dow’s Polycarbonate Department with Technology Center activities in Freeport, TX, Stade, Germany, and Osaka, Japan.
After retiring from Dow with 25 years of service, Everett began a consulting service. His longest client relationship was with Shintech Corporation, a polyvinyl chloride plastic producer, for over 23 years.
Everett was a member of the American Legion, the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and a 63-year member of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Everett enjoyed hunting, fishing, and traveling. His big game hunting trips included Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, western Canada, and Newfoundland. He and Jeanette cruised Alaska and through the Panama Canal.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanette, who died shortly after their 40th wedding anniversary; father, Darius Eastman; mother, Erma Larse; step-father, Harold Larse; grandparents, Leroy & Gretta Eastman, Earl & Rose Hasley; uncle, Merlin Hasley; aunts, Doris Eastman and Alma Kelly; half-brother, Bruce Eastman; brother-in-law, William Stauffer; niece, Cindi Kaster; nephews-in-law, Charlie Larson, Dean Kaster, and Keith Stukenberg.
He is survived by his sister, Joyce Stauffer, Monroe, WI; nieces, Nikki Larson, Lori Weinkes, Traci (Michael) Pickett, Kelli (Doug) Williams; nephew, Lonnie (Sherry) Stauffer; step siblings, Shirley Schroeder, Sherry (Roger) Vickers, and Harold “Sonny” (Donna) Larse; as well as numerous great nephews, and nieces, and great-great nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Shriner Hager Gohlke Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Eastman Cemetery.
A visitation will be held on Saturday from 10:00 AM until the time of service at the funeral home.
Condolences may be sent to the family at: shgfuneralhome.net.
