Fred spent most of his younger years in Olympia, Washington. He joined the U.S. Navy, and did two tours of duty in the Korean War. When he came back to the States, he met Shirley J. Ridgway to whom he was to be married for 48 years. After he completed law study at Lewis and Clark's Northwestern School of Law in Portland, Oregon, he and Shirley moved to Coos Bay, Oregon where he practiced as a trial lawyer for 17 years and where they raised their four children. He sold his practice in 1976 and sailed the South Pacific for three years before landing in San Diego, where he fulfilled another dream to establish a night law school, Western Sierra School of Law. He was dean of the school for 21 years until his death. He made it possible for people's educational dreams to come true by keeping tuition down, tutoring students and encouraging them to persist while working and going to law school at the same time. Students, alumni and staff all praised his support and inspiration.

 He was an avid pilot for 30 years and a hunter safety instructor. He enjoyed scuba diving, fishing, hunting, and was a hobbyist beekeeper. Above all, he loved spending time with his grandchildren and children and made many trips to Oregon from Spring Valley, California in his single-engine plane to see them. His wife, survived him, as did his son, Mark Eason of Roseburg, Oregon; son and daughter-in-law, Glen and Kim Eason of Newport, Oregon; daughter and son-in-law, Colleen and Jeff Reeves of North Bend, Oregon; grandsons Josh, Jared, Dylan and Derek; and granddaughter, Lindsay. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Rose Eason and his son, Alan Lee Eason.

Written by Corbin Smith from obituary in The Coos Bay World, Coos Bay, Oregon, September 19, 2000.

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