James (Jimmy) Lawrence Eason, a lifelong resident and devoted leader of Hampton, Virginia, passed away peacefully at age 80 in his home surrounded by loved ones on February 14, 2023.
Jimmy was born on June 30, 1942, in Hampton as the only child of James Merrill and Margaret Towe Eason. The son of a prominent football coach, Jimmy was a star football player at Hampton High School where he won first team All-State and Honorable Mention All-American Honors in 1959.
Jimmy was graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1965 with a B.S. degree in accounting after having earned three varsity letters in football and having played on UNC's 1963 nationally ranked Gator Bowl championship football team. He was also a proud member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Later on, he was well known around Hampton for being seen in Carolina-blue UNC apparel whenever possible.
When Jimmy returned home after college, he joined the local accounting firm of Daniels, Turnbull & Freeman, where he eventually became manager of the Hampton office before leaving to start his own firm with two associates — Eason, Lawson & Westphal. When he retired from the accounting business in 1992, his firm was the largest Hampton-based accounting firm with 22 employees.
As significant as his business contributions were to the area, Jimmy considered his public service even more important. In 1982, he was elected Mayor of Hampton, an office he held until his retirement in 1998. During these 16 industrious years, he helped transform the city by leading the development of the downtown waterfront, the Coliseum area, the Hampton Roads Center business parks and golf courses, the Virginia Air & Space Science Center, Carousel Park, Harbour Centre, and the Hampton History Museum, just to name a few. He actively pushed for diversity throughout the city. He was also instrumental in establishing the Healthy Families Initiative to promote early-childhood education to children of all races.
After his successful tenure as mayor, Jimmy was President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Partnership from 1998 to 2004. In this role, he worked with 17 communities and their leaders on many of the strategic issues of Hampton Roads as a whole so it could compete nationally and globally as a unified region.
From 2004 until his retirement in 2012, Jimmy was Director of Economic Development for the City of Hampton, where he could again focus his efforts on improving the quality of life in his beloved hometown. He was a key figure in the creation of the Hampton Roads Town Center and the development of the Buckroe Bayfront and Coliseum Central areas.
But even with so many civic and business accomplishments, Jimmy's life was also complemented by the love for his family and lifelong friends. His greatest accomplishments were being a devoted husband to Midge and dedicated father of two daughters, Nancy and Katherine. Along with his wife of 57 years, he enjoyed attending and was a supporter of the First United Methodist Church of Hampton, VA. The couple loved traveling together to Europe and sporting events around the U.S., especially to UNC football and basketball games. They also enjoyed gardening and personally helped maintain various public green spaces around the city.
He was sure to always make time for his daughters, too, and regularly attended their sporting events and school activities. Jimmy and Midge also delighted in hosting dozens of friends at their home on major summer holidays after large golf outings played by those known locally as the "Holiday Golf Group."
Along with being a member of the Hampton Rotary Club since 1973, Jimmy was also recognized by and a member of numerous other important local organizations, including National League of Cities, Urban Partnership of Virginia, Hampton School Board, Peninsula United Way, Peninsula Big Brothers, Peninsula Sports Club, Boys Club of Virginia Peninsula, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Hampton Clean City Commission, Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads, National Council for Urban Economic Development, and Hampton Roads Technology Council, among many others.
He is survived by his wife Midge Johnston Eason, his daughter Nancy Towe Eason, his daughter Katherine Eason Carleton, and her husband Jeff Carleton; his niece Jo Briggs, her husband Barry Briggs, their daughter Catie Roland, her husband Blake Roland, and their daughter Ellie; his niece Anne Fleming; his niece Alex Fleming, her husband Lee Phillips, and their sons Luke and Nathan; his nephew Grady Jackson, his wife Becky Davis, their son Henry, and their daughter Harriet; his niece Suzanne Kendon, her husband Angus Kendon, and their sons Ioan and Adrian; his cousins Joe Towe, Cliff Towe, Marty Lou White, Margaret Dudley, Ralph White, and his wife Jo White; his cousin Betty Jones; his aunt Ione Eason, and her son Alton Eason; and his cats Chester and Scooter.
A visitation will be held at the R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home in Hampton from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Friday, February 17, 2023. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at the First United Methodist Church of Hampton, VA, with a reception afterward in the church's Fellowship Hall. The family requests any contributions to honor the life of James Lawrence Eason be made to the First United Methodist Church of Hampton, VA; the Hampton History Museum; the Virginia Air and Space Science Center; or the Hampton Arts Foundation.