Montclair Mourns For James Eason, Late Community Leader

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Town Council read a proclamation at their Monday meeting in memory of a recently departed local community leader: James Eason.

Eason died at the age of 80 on Oct. 29. A funeral and viewing was scheduled for Tuesday.

Eason, a founding member of the Montclair African American Heritage Foundation, was active in organizations including Montclair Gateway to Aging in Place, Montclair Cobras and the Do Drop In. He served in the Vietnam War as a helicopter pilot, and worked as a teacher for two years before finding employment with IBM, Montclair Local reported.

A GoFundMe campaign in Eason’s name raised more than $7,000 to help his family pay his final expenses. According to the fundraiser:

“As most of you now know our beloved Jim Eason has passed away on Sunday October 29, 2023. Jim was known for always having a camera in hand to capture history as it happened. You could find him on the sidelines for our town's sporting events, or organizing talent for the African American Heritage Festival. He had a great passion for music and loved to dance, cook, and hanging out with his good friends at the Dew Drop. He will be remembered for being a great father figure, uncle, friend, and companion. We humbly ask that our community gather together at this time to help us raise funds to pay for Jim's going home celebration, and assist with his final expenses. We thank you all for your continued support, especially those who were able to provide him comfort and compassion in his final days.”

Councilman David Cummings called Eason a “great Montclair resident” who was like a “father” to many people in the community.

The councilman read a proclamation in Eason’s memory at Monday’s meeting (watch the video below, cued to the reading).

Councilman Robert Russo also had kind words for Eason.

“Mr. James Eason was a major force in my life as mayor, advising and suggesting and pushing for a Montclair Senior Center for many years,” Russo said.

“I will recommend that any Senior Center be named for Jimmy Eason when we finally – and hopefully soon – build such a monument to his hard work, dedication and advocacy for Montclair’s senior citizens,” Russo added.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.