Gail Eastburn-Schultz Obituary (1939 - 2017)

"An unextinguished laughter shakes the skies" - Homer* Gail Eastburn-Schultz, 77, passed away Nov. 22, 2017 at Legacy Memory Care surrounded by her adoring family. Gail was born on December 19, 1939 to William H. Eastburn, II and Nancy White Eastburn of Wayne, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. She was graduated from the Lincoln School in Providence, RI and Wheelock College in Boston, MA. In the summer of 1961, and in the golden age of air travel, Gail fulfilled her dream to travel the world and be of service to others by becoming a flight attendant for TWA. She flew with TWA for the next 43 years and Gail was a proud member of Silver Wings International. In her retirement, Gail furthered her education, enjoyed golf, reading, and lively conversation with her loving husband, Dutch, and many friends, who were more like family. She was often seen about town, cruising in her light blue 1968 Oldsmobile 442 convertible. During the Vietnam War, Gail was among several hundred flight attendants who served aboard the airplanes which transported troops between home and war. The Vietnam Flight Crews cared for the troops as the last civilian contact many saw before heading into war. In the early 1970s, a friend of Gail's brother, Bill, Arthur B. "Dutch" Schultz moved to California. Bill wrote to Gail and asked her to take care of his friend. She did. They wed in 1975 and the two enjoyed 30 years of marriage, until he passed away in 2005. Dutch, a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne, earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Heart s during his service in the military for his combat efforts in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Dutch was a counterintelligence agent and a private detective. He also operated a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program at Fort Irwin until 1984. In the spring of 2013 Gail and her beloved Westie, Lucy, returned east escorted by her nephew, Bill and niece, Holly. As the posse pulled onto Route 66 headed to the airport in Los Angeles, two red birds flew in formation beside their car, escorting them out of the Mojave desert. We often felt the presence of Gail's guardian angels, as she bravely walked the path through Alzheimer's disease. Arriving at Boston's Logan Airport that spring, nephews, Christopher and Quinn, gave her a rousing musical welcome home on fiddle and guitar as she descended the escalator, with niece, Jane, holding a welcome home sign crafted by Quinn and family, representing the open arms and infinite love awaiting Gail. Gail was a confidant, great friend, source of joy and laughter, and wise mentor to nieces and nephew Ellie, Graham, Louisa, and to all of us. They, along with nephew Alan, were a huge light in Gail's life. One of the greatest honors of Holly's life has been serving as Gail's advocate, sidekick, and as Gail called her, "my sassy personal assistant". The staff of Falmouth House, Legacy Memory Care and Compassus Hospice became her loving friends and family. Thank you with all of our hearts, Kadi, Aleks, Mary, Michelle, Edie, Martina, Kaylee, Elaine, Jodi...and many more, who we feel deeply grateful to. Gail was always full of love and gratitude, charming those around her with a charismatic personality and a great sense of humor. The sparkle in her beautiful pale blue eyes, reflected a provocateur's spirit, which she kept alive and well until the very end. In addition to her parents, her husband, Dutch, and her brother William H. Eastburn III, she was predeceased, by her sister, Linda B. Eastburn. She is survived by her sister-in-law, Constance A. Eastburn of Doylestown, PA and many nieces and nephews, Page Eastburn O'Rourke, Page's husband, Kevin, and son, Duncan O'Rourke of Yarmouth, ME and son, Griffin O'Rourke of Miami, FL, Holly Eastburn MacEwan, Holly's husband, Alan, daughter Ellie Eastburn MacEwan, of Charlotte, NC, son, Graham MacEwan, and daughter, Louisa MacEwan, of Falmouth, ME, William H. Eastburn, IV, Bill's wife, Charlotte Dunham, and son, Henry, and daughter, Lydia Eastburn, of New Hope, PA, Christopher Eastburn and wife, Jane Hammer, Jane's sons, and Christopher's stepsons, Adrian Rigopoulos of Helsinki, Finland and Simon Rigopoulos, and son, Quinn Eastburn of Arlington, MA, Brooke Eastburn, and her children, Eva and William Lauterbach of Charlotte, NC. In-laws, Jane and David Smith of Kennebunk, ME, were an integral part of welcoming Gail back to her family on the east coast. She is also survived by her dear flying cohorts and devoted friends Nancy McTigue, Patti Hassler, Pat Mahin and Marilyn Kriegel. And dear friends and neighbors in California, Connie Anderson and Todd Anton. A musical celebration of Gail's life will be held at Legacy Memory Care at OceanView, 4 Schoolhouse Drive, Falmouth, at 3:30PM on Saturday, December 16, 2017. Interment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest with her beloved Dutch. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Furniture Friends, P.O. Box 631, Westbrook, ME 04098 www.Furniturefriends.org * Gail choose this quote for her high school yearbook.