John Watha Eastes

John Watha Eastes (1935-2016) Dad was born to Flossie May Tripp Eastes and John Lee Eastes on July 31, 1935 in Henderson County near Dallas. Grandmother Flossie was especially spiritual and religious and dad always relayed these values to his children. Dad grew up and served in the U.S. Army from 1957-1960. Dad married Virginia Lee Meek on December 21st, 1959, and they gave birth to John Louis Eastes on December 10th, 1960 in Dallas, Texas. The family moved to Northern Virginia in 1964 when John began his Department of Defense career. After a first divorce in 1979, Dad re-married Paula Jane Snyder in 1979, and they gave birth to Bryan Lee Eastes in 1980 and Cynthia Ann Eastes in 1982. A second divorce followed in 1989. Dad lived here in Virginia for 52 years until his death at the age of 80 on July 23, 2016. Dad was a conscientious intellectual who loved knowing and travelling the world. Dad’s educational achievements in chemistry came from the University of Texas where he received his undergraduate degree and American University in Washington, D.C. where he received his Masters and Ph.D., Dr. John W. Eastes. Dad continuously excelled in his work with U.S. Army Engineer Topographic Laboratories at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. Dad is iconic in the field of organic chemistry with hundreds of students citing his works within their educational works. Dad’s part-time evening and retirement was with H&R Block tax preparation where he was a senior tax adviser at a Woodbridge H&R Block office. He was once interviewed by the Washington Post regarding tax issues and the office. He learned the Spanish language and applied it to his work at the Block. Dad was an excellent father who cared for his children and saw to it that his children were taken care of. Dad was someone always there for me. Though incoming calls were screened via answering machine, Dad would be there to relay how things were going, and he would always ask whether the family had been in contact. Dad was always a conscientious man as well who was usually working on some project for the house or cars. I will also always remember the times we spent together at country and line dance spots. Dad was a member of the Northern Virginia Country Western Dance Association. He spent a lot of his free time at Skinifatz in Lorton and The Dance Factory in Arlington. I remember him teaching me the Waltz. At one point, Dad took in Scruffy the dog and took care of him. Dad and Scruffy had a bond, and he truly missed him after his death due to old-age. I always admired Dad’s strengths. Dad loved to learn, appreciated beauty and excellence, possessed integrity, was modest, fair, and loving, and was willing to give good perspective and judgment. Dad especially valued good education within the family. He was an honorable man who will truly be missed. I continuously prayed for him during his sicknesses. Dad is now in heaven with grandmother, grandfather, others of the Eastes family, and others in general. Dad strived to stay healthy through good exercise and diet, and he promoted these habits to others. As Dad grew older, he grieved several medical issues on several occasions, but he was able to successfully battle and overcome these downfalls until the age of eighty. In the end, Dad needed more and more direct and full-time care. Dad passed on July 23, 2016 of a combination of heart conditions and massive neurological stroke at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia after being transported there from Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg.