When she died in 2002 at the age of 92, Verna Eastham was remembered by her son, John, as an inspiration for his own life, setting an example of how to benefit a community.

Now John D. Eastham's friends are saying the same about him, how he passed on his mother's legacy and set an example himself.

Mr. Eastham, 60, died Saturday of cancer, said a longtime friend, Don Kraft.

Kraft remembered Mr. Eastham as a person who was both creative and calm, not panicking in the midst of disruption.

"When there was chaos all around, he always kept his head," Kraft said.

Kraft added that family members often recalled how Mr. Eastham's mother always challenged him to give back to the community, something she had done.

The Eastham family, at one time, lived on a small farm at what is now the Totem Lake Shopping Center in Kirkland and moved to Yarrow Point before Mr. Eastham's birth.

When his mother died, John Eastham remembered how their house was always filled with civic meetings and said that his mother was largely responsible for the existence of public access to Lake Washington at places like Enatai, Meydenbauer Bay and Medina.

Mr. Eastham, whose career was in the advertising business, followed his mother's example, serving as chairman of Seafair in 1998 and holding other leadership positions with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, United Way of King County, Overlake Hospital Medical Center, Red Cross, Campfire, Boy Scouts, the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Seattle Association and the Community Development Roundtable.

He volunteered for more than 10 years with the Ned and Kayla Skinner Guild for Children's Hospital, was a 20-year member of the Rotary Club of Seattle and was a longtime active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue.

"He was instrumental in upgrading Seafair," said Beth Wojick, former Seafair executive director. "He had a really great, creative mind. He was a very beloved member of our board."

Mr. Eastham was born in Bellevue to Lynn and Verna Eastham and grew up on seven acres on Yarrow Point, where he enjoyed boating and riding horses. He graduated from Bellevue High School in 1963, where he lettered in football and played the bass guitar in a rock 'n' roll band. He attended the University of Puget Sound and graduated from the Burnley Art School in Seattle.

He held advertising executive positions with Lennon & Newell, Bozell & Jacobs, Kraft Smith, Star Seigle & McCombs in Hawaii, the Frederick & Nelson department store, where he served as spokesman during staff reductions in the 1980s, and EvansKraft. For the past 12 years, he was president of EMB Partners and the Eastham Hinton & Simpson advertising agencies.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; sons Joe and Ryan; a daughter, Stacey; and sisters Linda Ahzrauhan and Marianne Eastham, all of Bellevue.

A celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue, 1717 Bellevue Way N.E. Remembrances may be made to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center or Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center.

Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com