Samuel E. Eastman ’44

Sam died June 14, 2007, of pneumonia in Fort Myers, Fla. He was a transportation economist and lawyer and general counsel for the Interstate Commerce Commission. He also had his own consulting firm.

Born in Erie, Pa., he prepped at DeVeaux School and attended the University of Michigan for his freshman year. His father was A. Ford Eastman 1901. At Princeton, Sam won numerals in football, was an officer of Cloister Inn, majored in aeronautical engineering, and graduated with honors. His roommates included Chet Rice.

He was a Navy radioman until 1946, and then earned a law degree at Harvard and a master's in economics at the University of Maryland. In Washington, he helped lead the deregulation of the airline industry and also served in the Institute for Defense Analyses. He was a dedicated churchgoer, loved sailing and the Maryland mountains, and commanded the Fort Myers Power Squadron.

His first wife, Frances ("Susie"), died in 1999, before their 50th anniversary. He later married Helen ("Robin") Kuebler, a widow and former Erie friend. Other survivors include his daughters, Megan Sarah, Melissa Sue, and Amanda Ford Buschi; a grandson; and a granddaughter. Our sincere condolences go to all.