Message from
Mike Gingrich
Wed, 06/04/2008
May Earl have clear skies in his journey.
...an old friend from the 307th Bomb Wing at Lincoln AFB.
In Memory of
Willis Earl Eastabrooks
Willis Earl Eastabrooks survived being shot down over Vietnam to have a second career teaching NASA astronauts to fly the space shuttle. He was killed Monday 1 June 2008 in the crash of a small home-built aircraft near LaPorte TX. He was 74.
"It was what he loved to do," his son, Phillip Eastabrooks, said. "He loved to fly."
He was born on July 31, 1933, in Lexington, Mo., and grew up in the small towns of Battie and Troy, Kan., his wife, Dorothy Eastabrooks, said. To make money to earn an electrical engineering degree from the University of Kansas, he worked summers in a hardware store fixing washing machines and delivering butane to farmers.
After college, he worked briefly for Boeing before joining the U.S. Air Force.
While in navigator school at Houston's Ellington Field in 1957, he met his future bride at a YWCA dance. They married the next year.
He became a navigator on B-47 bombers, his wife said, often serving on missions
that included trips to air bases all over the world. In 1966, he became a navigator on B-57 Canberra bombers and was sent to Clark Air Base in the Philippines.
The Air Force had two squadrons of the bombers and rotated them between Clark and Vietnam, said a squadron mate, Bill Fink.
Flying over danger
In 1966, Eastabrooks earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for guiding his plane down through monsoon rain clouds between mountaintops on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, an extremely dangerous maneuver, Fink said.
The next summer, Eastabrooks and his pilot were in the Mekong Delta flying a mission to support ground troops when something hit his airplane, Fink said. "He just said he heard a big bang, and the cockpit started filling up with smoke."
Eastabrooks ejected from the plane and landed in a rice paddy, suffering a leg injury. Helicopter crew members rescued him and recovered the body of the pilot.
In 1981, Eastabrooks retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. The family moved to Houston, and he began a second career teaching communications to space shuttle crew members. He later became a lead instructor on the shuttle flight simulator.
A longtime private pilot, he flew and maintained his own four-seat airplane for more than 40 years, his son said.
Final flight
Just after 2 p.m. Monday, he took off from La Porte, TX Municipal Airport with Sam Brunson of Natchitoches, La., in a friend's home-built airplane. Brunson was interested in buying the plane. About six minutes later, it crashed and burned, killing both men.
Officials have not yet determined what caused the crash or which man was piloting the plane.
Eastabrooks is survived by his wife and son, both of Houston, TX daughter Tana Reeve of Austin, TX, sister, Mary Burgoon of Kansas and two grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at Clear Lake United Methodist Church. Interment will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Forest Park Lawndale in Houston,TX.
Services
Graveside Service
Sat. Jun. 7, 2008
10:00 am
Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery
6900 Lawndale Avenue
Houston , TX 77023.
Memorial Service
Fri. Jun. 6, 2008
1:00 pm
Clear Lake United Methodist Church
16335 El Camino Real
Houston , TX 77062.
10:00 am
Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery
Houston , TX 77023.
Fri. Jun. 6, 2008
1:00 pm
Clear Lake United Methodist Church
16335 El Camino Real
Houston , TX 77062.
Houston , TX 77062.
Sat. Jun. 7, 2008
10:00 am
Fri. Jun. 6, 2008
1:00 pm
Clear Lake United Methodist Church
16335 El Camino Real
Houston , TX 77062.
Houston , TX 77062.
In Memory of
Willis Earl Eastabrooks
Willis Earl Eastabrooks survived being shot down over Vietnam to have a second career teaching NASA astronauts to fly the space shuttle. He was killed Monday 1 June 2008 in the crash of a small home-built aircraft near LaPorte TX. He was 74.
"It was what he loved to do," his son, Phillip Eastabrooks, said. "He loved to fly."
He was born on July 31, 1933, in Lexington, Mo., and grew up in the small towns of Battie and Troy, Kan., his wife, Dorothy Eastabrooks, said. To make money to earn an electrical engineering degree from the University of Kansas, he worked summers in a hardware store fixing washing machines and delivering butane to farmers.
After college, he worked briefly for Boeing before joining the U.S. Air Force.
While in navigator school at Houston's Ellington Field in 1957, he met his future bride at a YWCA dance. They married the next year.
He became a navigator on B-47 bombers, his wife said, often serving on missions
that included trips to air bases all over the world. In 1966, he became a navigator on B-57 Canberra bombers and was sent to Clark Air Base in the Philippines.
The Air Force had two squadrons of the bombers and rotated them between Clark and Vietnam, said a squadron mate, Bill Fink.
Flying over danger
In 1966, Eastabrooks earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for guiding his plane down through monsoon rain clouds between mountaintops on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, an extremely dangerous maneuver, Fink said.
The next summer, Eastabrooks and his pilot were in the Mekong Delta flying a mission to support ground troops when something hit his airplane, Fink said. "He just said he heard a big bang, and the cockpit started filling up with smoke."
Eastabrooks ejected from the plane and landed in a rice paddy, suffering a leg injury. Helicopter crew members rescued him and recovered the body of the pilot.
In 1981, Eastabrooks retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. The family moved to Houston, and he began a second career teaching communications to space shuttle crew members. He later became a lead instructor on the shuttle flight simulator.
A longtime private pilot, he flew and maintained his own four-seat airplane for more than 40 years, his son said.
Final flight
Just after 2 p.m. Monday, he took off from La Porte, TX Municipal Airport with Sam Brunson of Natchitoches, La., in a friend's home-built airplane. Brunson was interested in buying the plane. About six minutes later, it crashed and burned, killing both men.
Officials have not yet determined what caused the crash or which man was piloting the plane.
Eastabrooks is survived by his wife and son, both of Houston, TX daughter Tana Reeve of Austin, TX, sister, Mary Burgoon of Kansas and two grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at Clear Lake United Methodist Church. Interment will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Forest Park Lawndale in Houston,TX.
Tributes
Message from
Woody Fail
Wed, 06/04/2008
My life has been brightened by having Earl as my friend and Crewmate. I am saddened by his passing. He loved flying so much. What a wonderful career he had. Doing the things he loved.
Message from
Sandra Treadway
Wed, 06/04/2008
Earl was a kind, gentle man. He was loved so much by his family & will be missed by us all. God bless you Dorothy, Phillip & Tana.
Message from
Mindy Fritcher
Wed, 06/04/2008
My Uncle Earl was a wonderful man and will be missed! I remember being so excited about taking a ride in his plane as a young girl----- only to get "air sick" once we were in the air! He never let me forgot that air sickness! I will miss his smile and talking with him. He will stay in my heart forever.
Message from
Dan and Lynn Niemczak
Thu, 06/05/2008
We were neighbors for 19 years, and both Earl and Dorothy are so much a part of our lives. They are more than friends and neighbors, they are family. Earl will be missed, but never forgotten. His smile, his stories, his love of flying will live on in every life he touched.
God Speed, Earl.
The Dan Niemczaks
Message from
David Fuesting
Thu, 06/05/2008
Earl will be very, very missed. As a former mentor, he and I spent a lot of time together planning and executing training simulations at JSC. His love for flying is just one of my fondest memories as he often related old flying stories to whatever the crisis of the day was, and it always seemed to help resolve things.
Although I have since moved on to different career challenges, and Earl retired from NASA, I often recall some of his advise and continue to apply it today.
David and Theresa Fuesting
Message from
Bruce and Teresa Fenstermacher
Thu, 06/05/2008
We meet Earl and Dorothy some years ago at the International Cessna 170 Association conventions.
Earl always had a story, most times relating to what ever was happening at the moment. I can't remember him without a smile.
We extend our sincere sympathies to Dorothy and family.
He will be missed by his association friends.
Bruce and Teresa
Message from
Laurie & Donna Bunten
Fri, 06/06/2008
Earl has been a great friend for fifty years. Our love goes out to his wonderful family in their time of grief.
Message from
Aaron Frith
Fri, 06/06/2008
What an honor it was to know Earl. He was such a great pilot, friend and mentor. When we would drive to the airport together to go flying, he would talk of his experiences and tell me some really good stories...He really made me laugh!
I recall one time that I had an especially difficult day at work. It was one of those days when he picked me up to drive to the airport, and I told Earl about the problems I had that day. He started talking about the times he made some mistakes in the past and because he was kind enough to share his story, it really helped get me through the day. I will never forget that. I was so impressed that he shared his thoughts to make me feel better.
Earl will be missed and it was a great privilege to know him.
God Bless.
Message from
Jacqueline Armstrong
Fri, 06/06/2008
Earl was more than an instructor to me. I loved being around him because he made me laugh with his stories and I learned something every day I was around him. He became a special part of my life. I am blessed to have known him.
Message from
John & Becky Hess
Fri, 06/06/2008
We met Earl at A Cessna !70 convention and we will miss him. We extend our sympathies to the family in this time of grief.
Message from
Travis Brice
Fri, 06/06/2008
Dear Dorothy. I'm so sorry I cannot get out for Earl's memorial today. He was a true friend and I'll miss him greatly. GOD bless you and family as you stuggle to deal with continuing life without Earl. I'm confident, as I know you are, that we'll see Earl again. Travis Brice
Message from
Ralph Mains
Sat, 06/07/2008
It was a delightful to have known Earl for the last 14 yrs. He was so helpful as a friend and pilot. Always generous with his time for young people interested in flying. A top notch pilot in the "Young Eagle" program. He will be sorely missed by all our members and those who knew him. Ralph Mains Ch 712
Experimental Aircraft Assn
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