Santa Clara Magazine

Karen Elizabeth LaMothe ’78, March 25, 1956, to April 23, 2013. Karen was born in Portland to Barbara and Roger Wagner. She graduated from Wilson High School in 1974 and attended the University of Santa Clara spending her junior year in Florence, Italy. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology she remained in San Francisco working in the investment banking field. She re-met her husband Greg '78, a fellow Santa Clara graduate, in 1987 and they married soon afterwards. They moved to Portland in 1991 and were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Noel in 1993. Karen loved watching classic movies, gardening, reading a good book in the sun and making her friends and family laugh. Everyone who knew her will miss her keen wit and wry sense of humor. She was preceded in death by her father, Roger Wagner and is survived by her husband, Greg; daughter, Noel; mother, Barbara and stepfather, Jack McKinnon; brother, Eric (and wife, Cindy) Wagner; and sister, Gretchen Wagner-Lariviere.

John "Papa" Eastus M.S. ’78, deputy city manager, City of San Jose (Ret.), and a resident of San Jose, passed away peacefully in his home on March 7, 2013 at the age of 81. He was born in San Luis Obispo, CA to Charles and Josephine Eastus and raised in Marin County. He joined the US Marine Corps at the age of 17. After being honorably discharged, he attended San Jose State University earning a degree in civil engineering and a masters degree in public administration at Santa Clara University. John started working for the City of San Jose as an Assistant Director of Public Works, promoted to the Director of Public Works, and retired in 1984 as a Deputy City Manager. After retiring from the city, he became a partner with HMH Engineering and later he was a consultant as Chief Engineer for the City of Brisbane. John loved the outdoors, fishing, camping, golf, and spent many hours working in his garden. He leaves behind his wife Sherry of 43 years, his brother Frank Eastus and sister Diane Wheeler, along with his 5 children, 9 grandchildren and 2 great granddaughters.