Richard H Eastland

Richard ‘Dick’ H. Eastland, 95, of Rock Island, IL, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, at UnityPoint Health Trinity in Rock Island. A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, December 27th, at 11:00 a.m., at Wendt Funeral Home in Moline, IL, with a visitation from 9:30 a.m. until time of the service. Craig Rollinger will officiate. In keeping with Dick’s wishes he will be cremated. Burial will be in National Cemetery on Arsenal Island in Rock Island, with Military Honors accorded by American Legion Post #246. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Congregational Church in Moline, the Rock Island County Historical Society in Moline, the Rock Island County Genealogical Society in Moline, or the Quad City Animal Welfare Center in Milan, IL. Richard H. Eastland was born in Winthrop, MN, on January 13, 1918, the fifth of nine children to Carl LeRoy and Nellie G. (Philstrom) Eastland. On September 14, 1941, he was united in marriage to Grace Barbara Shager at First Congregational Church in Moline. Grace preceded him in death on August 14, 2003. Dick graduated from Spencer, IA High School in 1936. While in high school, he did alterations at a men’s clothing store. In 1939, he graduated from Hohen Schuk Carpenter College of Mortuary Science. Dick worked for Runge Mortuary for three years and maintained his morticians’ license into his sixties. He began working as a clerk for John Deere Harvester in April, 1942. Dick was inducted into the United States Air Force in January, 1943 and served at Petersen Field, Colorado Springs, CO, achieving the rank of Sargent. Prior to his honorable discharge on February 7, 1946, Dick received a commendation for excellent work from his superior. Dick returned to work in the purchasing department at John Deere Harvester, retiring in 1980, after 38 years of service. Dick prided himself in always arriving at work early and was supportive and respectful of those with whom he worked. Always a hard worker, Dick was a loving and gentle soul who was devoted to his family proudly supporting his wife and children in their endeavors. He developed a lifelong love of gardening at the hand of his father, Carl. He was always there to help his children, neighbors, and friends, with yard work or gardening tips. Dick loved growing lilies and roses along with perennials and annuals. In later years he took up growing bonsai trees. As a child in Spencer, he learned to play the harmonica and continued playing into his nineties. As a young man, Dick loved singing oldies in harmony with his four brothers and sang in a local barbershop quartet. For many years he and his extended family enjoyed singing Christmas Carols on Christmas Day in the Davenport neighborhood of his sister, Ruby Sears. Dick kept bird feeders and was a lover of nature and animals. His children loved ‘walking the trails’ with him, his brother Gust, and his children at Black Hawk State Park in Rock Island. He was a long-standing member of First Congregational Church in Moline, Congregators, and bridge club with a circle of wonderful friends. Survivors include children and spouses: Patti (Drake) DeVore, and Suzan Rowley, all of Rock Island; John Eastland of Bettendorf, IA, and Larry (Mary) Eastland of Moline, IL; brother: Allen (Louise) Eastland of Sun City, AZ; sister Virginia (William) Robbins of Orting, WA; grandchildren and spouses Donyelle (Matt) Kemp, Dawn (Peter) Gabryshak, Dena DeVore, Drake (Emily) DeVore, Drew (Kendall) DeVore, Rebecca (Ian) Schroeder, Erica and Eric Eastland; great-grandchildren Patriece and Pierce Gabryshak, Gavin DeVore, and Ella DeVore, and many nieces and nephews, their children and grandchildren. The family would like to thank Dr. Shawn Keeven and Dr. Brian Englebrecht for their fine care of Dick. We also send our thanks for their gentle and wonderful care of Dick to the nursing and tech staffs at Heartland Health Care, Moline and the nurses and staff on Seven North and South at UnityPoint Health Trinity of Rock Island including Hospice Nurse Shannon. We also want to extend a very special thanks to Dick’s long term caregiver LenDel Peterson. In addition to his wife, Grace and parents, Carl and Nellie, he was preceded in death by three brothers: Gust, LeRoy, and Robert, and three sisters: Marjorie, Vivian, and Ruby, and his feline companion, Bootsie.

To send a flower arrangement to the family of

Richard H Eastland , please click here to visit our Sympathy Store .