Arvel C. Eastman

There are some people in the world who seem to draw others to them, with an intangible something that makes people want to be in their orbit. Our dad was one of those people.

Arvel C. “Bud” Eastman was born on Oct. 10, 1948, to Mary Mae and Arvel James Eastman. Though the family made their home in Evanston, Bud was born in Coalville, Utah, because Evanston didn’t have a hospital at the time. At home he was greeted by his two older sisters, MaeVonne – with whom he shared a birthday – and Mary Ellen. Younger brother Russ came along a few years later.

His youth was spent roaming the neighborhood, first on County Road and then on Evanston’s Front Street. His earliest memory was of throwing rocks at a kid up the street with whom he would later form a lifelong friendship. Bud loved sports throughout his life, playing virtually everything when he was young until a brutal football injury in his early years of high school. The resultant pins that held his ankle together kept him off the football team after that.

He graduated from Evanston High School and worked a number of jobs throughout his life, from his first job as a lifeguard at Evanston’s outdoor pool on Sixth Street to the decades spent working for the City of Evanston until his retirement from his position as supervisor of the water treatment plant. Though playing football was no longer an option, his love of sports continued to express itself in adulthood as every summer was spent at the softball fields as he played first base and winters were frequently spent at the bowling alley. When he wasn’t playing, he was watching sports – anything and everything, including football, basketball, baseball, golf, soccer, boxing, Olympic competition and more. And he absolutely loved to challenge people with his sports trivia knowledge, which was vast and next to impossible to outdo.

His love of trivia and a good challenge was by no means limited to sports. Bud also loved history and especially movies and music. As a dad, one of his favorite ways to challenge his kids was by playing Name that Tune with the vinyl 45 records he collected. This game was so competitive that, to this day, all three of his kids can not only identify songs of that era by the music but by the color of the record label when seen across the room.

Bud loved to have a good time. Some of our favorite memories of him include him making spook alleys in our living room and making us squeal with delight when he’d crawl along the bottom of the bed and grab us by our feet playing “shark.” His sarcasm and often twisted sense of humor were absolutely passed down the family line. He delighted in good food, holidays, and throwing parties, including some infamous softball parties and, later in his life, shrimp and martini and toga parties that guests still talk about. After his retirement, his “safety meetings” with the guys at Kate’s were something he practically refused to miss. Who can blame him when they consisted of such good friends, good food, good drinks, and good music?

While he could be strict and had high expectations, his kids and grandkids were, without question, the “apples of his eye,” as he sometimes said. Taking them to movies, the theater, restaurants, or on vacation, or simply hanging out making dinner, listening to music, and talking were what he loved most of all. And what we’ll miss very much.

Bud passed away on Oct. 1, 2026, at Rocky Mountain Care in Evanston, with family at his side. Though his last months weren’t spent the way he planned or the way any of us would have necessarily chosen, they did provide us time to talk, ask questions, and deepen our appreciation of one another, and for that, as well as the care provided to him during his time at RMC, we are deeply grateful.

Bud is survived by his children, Sheila (Brian) McGuire, of Evanston; Arvel James “Jim” (Sara) Eastman, of Sheridan; and Clayton (Beth) Eastman of Anaconda, Montana. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Kane, Moira, Trish, Jackson, Sage, Aidan, Izabelle, Bellatrix, and Layla; as well as his great grandson Ellis; and his brother Russ. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters.

A celebration of Bud’s life, filled with the good friends, good food, and good music he so loved, will be held at the Bear Ponds Community Pavilion at 3 pm on Saturday, Oct. 10, his birthday. All friends and family are welcome to join us as we raise a glass, or two, in his honor.