Richard Eastburn

Ohio Businessman - Founder of Laurel Lake in Hudson OH Richard A. Eastburn (77) passed away on Thursday November 3rd 2011 at the Hickory Ridge nursing home in Akron OH. He was predeceased by his wife of 28 years Heidi F. Eastburn on September 24 1991. Mr. Eastburn was born in West Chester Pennsylvania to Alma and Louis Eastburn. Mr. Eastburn had a long and varied career that started in the ministry included the creation of a local retirement community and concluded as a sought after management consultant. He graduated from Shelton College in 1956 with a degree in Social Studies and was ordained as a minister that same year. He was a lifelong student and eventually completed work for three Masters Degrees: Biblical Theology from New York Theological Seminary Organizational and Group Behavior from Temple University and Management from Columbia University School of Management. In 1962 Mr. Eastburn left the ministry to lead a job training program for the Philadelphia YMCA. His work with this program led to employment with RCA. He continued to work in the private sector for Digital American Standard and TRW before starting his own business in the 1980s. In 1989 Mr. Eastburn fulfilled a long held dream to provide a life care community to North East Ohio with the opening of Laurel Lake in Hudson. Laurel Lake is now considered one of the premier Retirement communities in the country. Mr. Eastburn had hoped to spend his last years in the community he worked so hard to build. He accepted an appointment as the Director of the National Academy of Sciences Manufacturing Studies board in 1990. During his tenure he was responsible for a wide variety of studies that impacted industrial and governmental policy and supported US competitiveness in the global marketplace. During the same time period he was also the chair of the Cleveland area TEC group and served as Senior Vice President of the Strategic Management Group. Mr. Eastburn is survived by his daughter Karin (James) McCleery of Sutton MA; his son Marc (Debbie) Eastburn of Bainbridge OH; his long time partner Susan (Susie) Morehart of Akron her sons; and 11 grandchildren The family will hold a private service at a future date. Donations in remembrance of Mr. Eastburn to the Alzheimer's association (www.alz.org) or the Heidi F. Eastburn Scholarship fund at the Hathaway Brown school (www.hb.edu or Hathaway Brown School Office of Advancement Heidi Eastburn Memorial Fund 19600 North Park Boulevard Shaker Heights OH 44122) are appreciated.