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Midland, TX—We at Centurion are so sorry to report the tragic passing of Melissa Eastham, 47, daughter of Retail Advisory Board member Cathy Eastham. She died unexpectedly Monday, December 31, 2012, in California.  


Eastham was a graduate of St. Mary's Law School and began her legal career in the courtroom working for the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Clovis, New Mexico, her birthplace. She began as an assistant district attorney and later was promoted to deputy district attorney. Following her time as a prosecutor, she moved to Midland, TX, and worked for a local law firm before the creation of her own law firm with two partners.

Eastham has a long family history of civic involvement, with a particular affinity for non-profit organizations. In New Mexico, she served on the board of directors for Mental Health Resources and CASA, where she served as president for 2 years, and also served as president of the Curry-Roosevelt Bar Association and was the founding member of the Women’s Bar Association of Curry-Roosevelt Counties. She served as  a judge and attorney trainer for the Curry County Teen Court program and coached the high school mock trial team. 

In Texas, Eastham continued to volunteer for several non-profit organizations. She served on the board of directors for The Safe Place of the Permian Basin and was presently serving on the board for High Sky Children's Ranch and the Museum of the Southwest. She was also a member of the advisory board for Prosperity Bank.  She was a former member of the board of directors for the Midland Rape Crisis and Children’s Advocacy Center, and also had previously worked with Teen Court in Midland as a volunteer judge.  She was a member of First United Methodist Church, where her memorial will be held January 10.  



She is survived by her mother, Cathy, brother Mark and sister-in-law Michelle, of Minneapolis, MN; grandmother, Katheryn Williams Baker, of Midland, TX; nephew, Mark Eastham Jr. of Sunnyvale, CA; nieces and nephews Miranda, Melanie, Michael and Matthew Eastham, all of Minneapolis, MN. She is also survived by her beloved “furry children,” Ellie, Brinkley, Mattie, and Emma.
She was predeceased by her father, Harry Eastham; maternal grandfather, Leon Williams; paternal grandparents, Carmel and Helen Eastham; step-grandfather, Phillip Baker; and another beloved pet, Maggie.


The family suggests memorials be made to: High Sky Children’s Ranch Inc, 8701 West County Road 60, Midland, TX 79707; Safe Place of The Permian Basin, P.O. Box 11331, Midland, TX 79701; the Rape Crisis Center of Midland, 1700 North Big Spring Street, Midland, TX 79710; or the Museum of the Southwest, 1705 West Missouri Avenue, Midland, TX 79701. Click here to sign an online condolence book.