Wednesday, January 14, 2026 2:30 pm

Joetta Marie Eastman, a longtime employee of Gardner-Webb University and a resident of Boiling Springs, NC, died unexpectedly on January 10, 2026, at the age of 88.

Joetta is survived by her husband, Anthony; her children, Scott Eastman and his wife, Jane, and Sean Eastman and his wife, Sarah.

Joetta was born in Richland, Missouri, to Virgil and Edith Zumwalt. She graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in Poplar Bluff, MO, in 1955, and from Union University in Jackson, TN, in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. On September 9, 1962, she married Anthony Finley Eastman, and in 1966 they moved to Boiling Springs to work at Gardner-Webb University. Joetta served in the GWU Financial Aid Office for 10 years and in the Physical Education, Wellness, and Sport Studies Department for 17 years.

She enjoyed crafts and organizing and was an avid fan of college basketball and baseball, as well as the occasional demolition derby.

A devout Christian with a deep faith, there is no doubt she sits at the right hand of God.

Memorial services will be held at Flint Hill Baptist Church on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with visitation immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Joetta's memory.

Online condolences may be made at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com.

Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the family.