Linda Eastman, 81 of Portland, passed away peacefully at Scarborough Terrace on April 9, 2025.

Born in Wolfboro, NH, she is the daughter of Richard and Joyce Bolton.  Linda grew up in Hollis, Maine, with 3 brothers and a sister, graduating from Hollis High School. The Bolton and Eastman children were friends with the eldest, Joel, courting Linda.

She married Joel W Eastman and together they traveled along the eastern US while Joel completed his Master's Degree and PhD, teaching at various schools and colleges during that time. Joel and Linda eventually settled down in Portland to raise their family. They had three children, Michael, Jason, and Melanie.

Linda was a constant supporter of her husband and family.  She worked part-time while the children were young and made dinner before heading out to work for the evening. Linda advanced in her job at Maine Medical Center, initially as a financial counselor, and later became a supervisor before retiring.

It was a perfect job for Linda, who was always looking to help and support others. Whether it was medical patients needing support in paying for services, or neighboring families. The Eastman household was always host to childhood friends, especially during summer, with frozen treats, games, and a swimming pool.

In addition to working, she loved a bargain and would scour the newspaper for outlet and garage sales. She was a pro at mapping out the best routes and always haggling the price to get the best deals.

Her children looked forward to Holidays, where she would make various crafts and treats, including famous Christmas candies, Needhams, and Gingerbread houses.  Linda's Whoopie Pies were well-known and famous among friends and family in Florida.

Interested in cooking and new recipes, Linda took Chinese cooking classes, fermented pickles, and made homemade donuts and fried dough. She won a recipe contest in the 80s from Shaw's supermarket, and the Eastman house was one of the first to have a microwave oven.

Always interested in crafts, Linda learned how to decorate Ukrainian eggs with wax and dyes, weave baskets with reeds, knit,  macramé, and crochet.  She was a seamstress and helped Melanie make her graduation and prom dresses. Linda was always supportive of her children's interests, including Melanie's sports, Jason and Michael's art, and music.

Linda and Joel were also avid travelers, including a month-long family trip to England in a house swap in 1989.  The Eastmans visited London and Stonehenge.  She and Joel went to Hawaii and California.  However, one of their favorite places was Florida, where many of Linda's siblings settled. They bought a second winter retirement home, remaining in Maine for summers.

She is survived by her children, Michael of Portland, ME, Jason (Susan) of Thousand Oaks, CA, Melanie (Adam) Cogan of Scarborough, ME and her four grandchildren; Mackenzie and Jordan Eastman and Zoe and Blue Cogan; her sister Kathi (Karl) of Treasure Island, FL, and brother Ed (Nadine) Bolton of Clermont FL and Phil (Angela) of Grassy Creek, NC and her sister-in-law, Sandra of West Buxton.

She is predeceased in death by her husband, Joel W Eastman, as well as her parents, Richard Sr and Joyce Bolton, and brother Richard Bolton Jr.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 12, from 4:00 - 7:00 pm at Hobbs Funeral Home, 671 US-1, Scarborough, ME 04074,  (207) 883-5599. Services for Linda and Joel will be held on Friday, June 13, at Hillcrest Cemetery 599 Plains Rd Hollis Center, ME  04042 from 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Portland Wheelers or Maine Cancer Foundation.