Barbara V. (Meagher) Eastham, 77 years old, widow of the late Edward J. “Monk” Eastham, died October 8, 2009 at the Nazareth Home in Louisville, KY.
She was born in the Graniteville section of Westford on May 10, 1932 and was a daughter of the late William D. and Catherine V. (Payne) Meagher. Mrs. Eastham was a proud graduate of Lowell High School, Class of 1949. She received her Bachelors Degree in Education from Lowell State Teachers College in 1953 where she was class president from her Sophomore through Senior years. To pay her way through college, Barbara opened her own drama school where she taught elocution and wrote and directed many plays.
Mrs. Eastham was a teacher in the Lowell school system for over 30 years. She was teaching principal at the Laura Lee School and also taught at the Shaughnessy, Bartlett and Riverside school during her tenure.
Barbara retired to Osterville, MA in 1988 where she was a member of the Osterville Historical Society and enjoyed the beaches, reading and the company of friends until her husband’s death in 2002. Since that time she resided in both CT and KY teaching and sharing her love with her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her children, Mark Eastham, MD of San Francisco, CA, Cathleen Kilmartin, RN and her husband Robert of Prospect, KY and Susan Porter, CPA and her husband Brian of Brookfield, CT; her grandchildren, Kailey and Daniel Kilmartin of KY and Elizabeth and Collin Porter of CT; a brother, William D. and his wife Elaine Meagher of NH and many nieces and nephews.
EASTHAM- Relatives and friends are asked to gather for her 9:30 AM Funeral Mass Wednesday Nov. 25th at St. Margaret’s Church, Stevens St., Lowell. There will be no procession from the Funeral Home. Burial in St. Patrick Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to either Nazareth Home, 2000 Newburg Road, Louisville, KY 40205 or Hosparus of Louisville at www.hosparus.org. Relatives, friends and former students are invited to attend a Celebration of Barbara's life at Longmeadow Country Club between 1 and 3 pm on Wed. Nov. 25th.