MACON, Ga. — Friends and colleagues at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board mourned the loss of William “Bill” Russell Eastwood on Thursday, as news spread of his passing. Eastwood, 73, of Macon, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. He was a longtime staffer with the Georgia Baptist Health Foundation and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board.
Eastwood is survived by his wife of 17 years, Karen, son Will and daughter-in-law Christy, daughters Taylor and Morgan, stepsons Lee and Joey Amerson, stepdaughter Kristina Sconiers, grandchildren Grant, Ryder, Ransom and Saber, and step-grandchildren Skylar, Rylee, Tucker, Wyatt and Rhett.
Universally, those who knew Eastwood and served alongside him described him as a servant with a smile. W. Thomas Hammond, Jr., executive director of the GBMB, said “Every day with Bill Eastwood was a blessing. He always had a smile on his face and was ready to serve however needed. Georgia Baptists have lost one of their most faithful servants.”
Kevin Wilson, who worked with Eastwood for the better part of two decades, noted that, “Though he had held a very important position with the Georgia Baptist hospital system, he humbly and willingly agreed to step into our work mostly serving the needs of our end users and fixing the difficult technical problems that we had ‘in the field.’ He was probably the best I’ve seen at ‘outside the box’ thinking and could come up with a solution to almost any problem. He also knew how to work with almost anyone and help them become better at their work.”
Longtime colleague Bryan Nowak, said, “Bill’s heart for service extended beyond fixing computers. He was the first to volunteer to help move furniture, unload a truck, or clean the building as needed. He loved to work, but service was his passion. We always gave Bill a hard time about having big muscles due to the heavy lifting around the office, but his biggest muscle was his heart.”
Dr. Robert White, former executive director of the GBMB, said, “One of the great joys I experienced in working with Georgia Baptists for 28 years was getting to spend time with Bill Eastwood. I first met Bill when he was employed by the Georgia Baptist Health Care System. Between his years at the Georgia Baptist Medical Center, and later with the Georgia Baptist Health Care Ministry Foundation, Bill served for nearly 30 years in the field of Information Technology. He became a part-time employee of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board in early 2021 and served in that capacity until June of 2024.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that when it came to computers, Bill Eastwood was a genius. I do not recall Bill ever being stumped by any problem that arose from computers either at the Georgia Baptist Medical Center or later with the Health Care Ministry Foundation or the Mission Board. Bill was always eager to be available to work at resolving any issues related to our computer systems.”
“Bill Eastwood had a huge impact on all that he served,” continued Nowak. “Yes, I did not say ‘worked with’ because he had a true servant’s heart. While a technology guru, his true gift was the ability to bring calm to a situation and a smile to people’s faces. He hardly ever called anyone by their real name but was able to get away with using a funny twist on them… and no one minded. Bill brought laughter to each office and each person. As a way of saying think you, most ministry areas kept a jar of candy out to cater to his sweet tooth.”
White also remembered both Eastwood’s attitude and love for sweets. “I learned that Bill liked miniature peanut butter cups, especially if they were frozen. I made sure there was always a bag of them in the freezer,” he recalled. “It was a lot of fun working with Bill. He seemed to never be down, but was consistently upbeat and had a positive influence on everyone around him.”
“Bill was like a big brother to all of us,” reflected Wilson about working with Eastwood in the IT department, “and he always taught us how to keep things in perspective and to laugh and talk it out when times are tough. He was a confidant to me when times were tough and always had sound advice. Bill had been through some really tough life situations but loved the Lord through it all.”
Another IT colleague, Jim Nguyen, said, “Bill was such a great friend to all who ever crossed paths with him. He was a mentor and someone who we could trust with anything.”
White recalled that Eastwood had military experience prior to working with Georgia Baptists, in addition to other hidden talents. “Bill told me that much of his information technology knowledge came through his military service,” he said, “When I pressed him for more information, I learned that he had top security clearance in the military and served in the area of ‘intelligence.’ That stirred more curiosity and on further questioning, it was revealed that he had to learn Russian for his job. He was stationed in Italy and in addition, our gifted friend played semi-pro football for the base.
In his spare time, Wilson said, Eastwood enjoyed spending time outdoors enjoying God’s creation and looking for ways to share the gospel. “Bill loved camping and living in an RV and a large part of his ministry to and for Jesus was in the ways he served at campgrounds and with his family on camping trips,” he said. “Even in his last days as we visited him at the hospital, a family came to see him because they had been ministered to by Bill and his wife Karen, and it changed their lives and carried them through a difficult time.”
Eastwood leaves behind a legacy of service to God and others. As Nowak recalled, “He would do anything for anyone. Even when he was going through his battle with cancer, he shrugged it off knowing that God had his life in his hands, and continued looking out for the needs of others to the end.
“Bill left a hole in the organization when he officially retired. He now leaves a hole in our hearts with his departure. His life and legacy were not in vain. He made a difference and impression on so many lives.”
Funeral services for Eastwood were held on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, at 2:00 PM in the Chapel of FairHaven Funeral Home. Rev. Robert White, Mr. Joe Parkin, and Rev. Joe Outlaw officiated the service.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Camp Kaleo.