Douglas L. Eustace

Douglas L. Eustace was born December 13, 1920 in Wakefield, KA to Jeffery and Dora Eustace. He died October 25, 2008, of congestive heart failure.

Following the death of his father, Doug moved, in 1932, with his mother, brother and sister to Selah, WA to be near Dora's brother and other family members in the Yakima Valley. After graduating from Selah High School he entered Eastern Washington College on a tennis scholarship and graduated with a degree in Education in 1942.

As many others of his generation, Douglas enlisted in the U.S. Army immediately following graduation. Basic training and Officer Candidate School took him to Missouri, New Jersey, and Florida. While stationed in Florida in 1943, he married his college sweetheart, Janet Smith of La Grande, Oregon. When Doug received orders to go to the European Theater of Operations to serve in the U.S. Army Signal Corp, Janet returned to La Grande to wait for his return.

January 1946 brought him home, and the opportunities provided by the GI Bill, as well as the belief that he wouldn't be a good teacher, helped him decide to go to dental school. He and Janet moved to Portland, OR where the first two of four children, Jeff and Christy were born. Following four years at the University of Oregon Dental School, graduating in 1950, he was awarded a three-year internship at Madigan General Hospital in Tacoma, WA during which Kimberly and Alan were born.

Doug and Janet brought their young family back to La Grande in 1953 to establish his private dental practice and raise their children. He practiced dentistry from 1953 until his retirement in 1982, and he served in the Army of the U.S. Active Reserve until he retired in 1980 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Although family was always a priority, community service was also a responsibility he took seriously. Service to community included: President of Eastern Oregon Dental Assoc.; Board of Directors Grande Ronde Hospital; La Grande Public Library Board; President of The Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow; La Grande School Board from 1962 -1979, where he served as Chairman from 1969-71; School Budget Committee from 1962-1967; and the Eastern Oregon University Foundation. Doug served from 1968-70 on the State Care Planning Committee at the request of then-Governor Tom McCall. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church where he sang in the choir for many years.

Avocations throughout his life included bird watching, tennis, carpentry, sports, music, history and the joys of lifetime learning. Treasured memories of his children are trips to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, outdoor family sports, summer swimming and winter snow adventures on Mt. Emily.

Doug was preceded in death by his youngest son, Alan, in 1973. He is survived by Janet, his wife of 65 years, Jeff Eustace (Tsuneko), Christy Smith (Scott), Kim Hathaway (Lawrence) and six grand children.

The family plans a private memorial service in the spring. In lieu of flowers, Doug would have appreciated the support of EOU Foundation and the Grande Ronde Hospital.

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