Leslie “Les” Eastep, 87, of Springfield, died at Springfield Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, at 11:22 a.m.
Funeral service was held on Sunday, Oct. 20, at Staab Funeral Home, located at 1109 South 5th Street in Springfield. Burial took place at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.
Staab Funeral Home in Springfield assisted with arrangements.
Mr. Eastep was born on Aug. 17, 1937, in Springfield, to Paul Eastep and Frances Gardiner Eastep. He married Sara Lieber in July of 2020 and she survives. He was a member of the Temple B’rith Sholom and was a veteran of the United States Air Force and Navy. He worked at IDOT for the State of Illinois for 31 years and then taught driver safety for 21 years.
He was a chili enthusiast, where he considered himself “weaned on chili,” often partaking and serving as a judge in the Litchfield Party in the Park chili cookoffs with friend and competitor, the original Chili Man, Joseph DeFrates. He won several award-winning chili competitions.
Mr. Eastep also had a commercial pilot’s license. In his free time, he was very involved in his community, including SPARC, Habitat for Humanity, Cooperative Extension service, Children’s Miracle Network, AARP, Lincoln Land Community College Board of Directors and active in the Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL).
He became a member of UCT’s Capitol Council 95 in 1965, became a past counselor in 1982 and was elected secretary/treasurer in 1997. He has been awarded every honor that his council can bestow upon a member.
Mr. Eastep chaired the Supreme Committee on Mental Disabilities in 2000 and the State of the Order Committee in 2003. He was appointed chairman of the Examining Finance Committee for 2004. He served on the Supreme Jurisprudence Committee in 2001 and 2002. He was a member of ISTA and the Grand Counselor’s Association.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his stepsons, Mark Alan Cogan and Charles Kenneth Cogan; and brother, Lawrence Eastep.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Eastep was preceded in death by his first wife, Linda; daughter, Elizabeth Ann (Rodney) Gresham; and brother, Donald Eastep.
