Obituary for Terry H. Eastland
Castine, Maine
Terry H. Eastland, a well-respected journalist, editor, and publisher, died on September 12 at his home in Castine. He was 73. Born in Dallas, Texas, on January 15, 1950, he graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1971 with a bachelor’s in philosophy. He received a master’s in philosophy and theology from Balliol College at Oxford University in 1974. In the summers, he earned money for his education by selling Bibles and encyclopedias door to door—a task at which he excelled.
Mr. Eastland loved newspapers. By age 12, he had his own newspaper route, and in junior high he covered sports for the school paper. Back from Oxford, he worked at The Greensboro Record, The San Diego Union, and The Virginian-Pilot, where he rose to be editor. While giving a speech at Guilford College in North Carolina in 1980, he met Jill Sizemore, who was in the audience. They married in 1983. Later that year, they moved north, to Washington, D.C., where Mr. Eastland had been appointed chief speechwriter for Attorney General William French Smith. He later served as director of public affairs for the Department of Justice under Attorney General Edwin Meese III.
After his days in the Reagan administration, Mr. Eastland enjoyed quieter roles at Washington think tanks before returning to journalism. He was editor of Forbes MediaCritic, publisher of The American Spectator, and publisher and executive editor of The Weekly Standard. Mr. Eastland wrote several books, most notably Energy in the Executive: The Case for the Strong Presidency (1992) and Ending Affirmative Action: The Case for Colorblind Justice (1996). His innumerable columns, essays, and book reviews covered many topics, from the Supreme Court and religious liberty to Aunt Sissie’s hot rolls and how best to cut up a chicken for frying.
In his spare time, Mr. Eastland enjoyed rooting for the Atlanta Braves, gardening—he focused on Kentucky Wonder beans, rhubarb, and pale-yellow irises from his parents’ yard—and reading with a can of Dr. Pepper close to hand. In 2020, he and his wife moved even further north to Castine, which he liked for its multitude of hand-lettered historical signs, ever-changing vistas out to sea, and proximity to family.
Mr. Eastland was a longtime member of Fourth Presbyterian Church, in Bethesda, Md., where he also served as an elder. He was a man of great faith and impeccable character who led his life with quiet but sure confidence—and with malice toward none.
He is survived by his wife, Jill Sizemore Eastland of Castine; his daughter, Katherine Eastland Messenger, and her husband, Robert, of Blue Hill, Maine; his two young grandsons; and his brother, William Martin Eastland of Arlington, Texas.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 6, at Fourth Presbyterian Church, in Bethesda, Md. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Romanian Christian Enterprises. www.rcenterprises.org
Arrangements by Jordan-Fernald, 113 Franklin St. Ellsworth
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com
Terry H. Eastland, a well-respected journalist, editor, and publisher, died on September 12 at his home in Castine. He was 73. Born in Dallas, Texas, on January 15, 1950, he graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1971 with a bachelor’s in philosophy. He received a master’s in philosophy and theology from Balliol College at Oxford University in 1974. In the summers, he earned money for his education by selling Bibles and encyclopedias door to door—a task at which he excelled.
Mr. Eastland loved newspapers. By age 12, he had his own newspaper route, and in junior high he covered sports for the school paper. Back from Oxford, he worked at The Greensboro Record, The San Diego Union, and The Virginian-Pilot, where he rose to be editor. While giving a speech at Guilford College in North Carolina in 1980, he met Jill Sizemore, who was in the audience. They married in 1983. Later that year, they moved north, to Washington, D.C., where Mr. Eastland had been appointed chief speechwriter for Attorney General William French Smith. He later served as director of public affairs for the Department of Justice under Attorney General Edwin Meese III.
After his days in the Reagan administration, Mr. Eastland enjoyed quieter roles at Washington think tanks before returning to journalism. He was editor of Forbes MediaCritic, publisher of The American Spectator, and publisher and executive editor of The Weekly Standard. Mr. Eastland wrote several books, most notably Energy in the Executive: The Case for the Strong Presidency (1992) and Ending Affirmative Action: The Case for Colorblind Justice (1996). His innumerable columns, essays, and book reviews covered many topics, from the Supreme Court and religious liberty to Aunt Sissie’s hot rolls and how best to cut up a chicken for frying.
In his spare time, Mr. Eastland enjoyed rooting for the Atlanta Braves, gardening—he focused on Kentucky Wonder beans, rhubarb, and pale-yellow irises from his parents’ yard—and reading with a can of Dr. Pepper close to hand. In 2020, he and his wife moved even further north to Castine, which he liked for its multitude of hand-lettered historical signs, ever-changing vistas out to sea, and proximity to family.
Mr. Eastland was a longtime member of Fourth Presbyterian Church, in Bethesda, Md., where he also served as an elder. He was a man of great faith and impeccable character who led his life with quiet but sure confidence—and with malice toward none.
He is survived by his wife, Jill Sizemore Eastland of Castine; his daughter, Katherine Eastland Messenger, and her husband, Robert, of Blue Hill, Maine; his two young grandsons; and his brother, William Martin Eastland of Arlington, Texas.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 6, at Fourth Presbyterian Church, in Bethesda, Md. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Romanian Christian Enterprises. www.rcenterprises.org
Arrangements by Jordan-Fernald, 113 Franklin St. Ellsworth
Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com