Beloved Warsaw commissioner dies at age 70

Eason will go down in history as the mastermind behind the Warsaw Veterans Mural, leaving a legacy to be remembered

The Town of Warsaw is mourning the loss of Commissioner Russell Eason, who passed away on May 27, 2024 at his home in Warsaw.

Eason, a U.S. National Guard veteran and former Warsaw Mayor (2013-2017), was known for his kind spirit and his involvement in the community. He was in his second term as town commissioner, and served a bit over five years in that capacity.

Today, Eason’s legacy stands tall at the corner of College and Front streets in Warsaw, reminding onlookers of the town’s deep military roots. The late veteran spearheaded the funding and commissioning of the veterans mural, a 70-foot-long wall art that he envisioned to represent the people of Warsaw and the town’s pride — the oldest consecutive running Veterans Day Parade in the state of North Carolina. Eason’s brainchild was unveiled in 2022 and was the culmination of a dream come true.

“When I met him, he was serving as mayor, and during that time he was striving to improve the town. He had a desire for the town to grow as well as the infrastructure to be repaired and updated as much as possible,” Mayor A.J. Connors told Duplin Journal. “His desire was to make Warsaw a better place to live. He really loved Warsaw.”

Eason was a dedicated public servant who served his community in many capacities.

“He served as a police officer here in Warsaw many years ago. He became an entrepreneur, and he owned a land clearing business hauling materials and debris, and he sat on the county planning board,” said Mayor Connors as he reminisced on Eason’s career as a public servant.

He volunteered time and resources at the Warsaw Veterans Memorial Museum where he served on the board. From fundraising to outreach efforts, he advocated for upgrades and renovations at the museum, helping secure funding needed to preserve the town’s rich military legacy and provide more accessibility to those visiting the museum in a wheelchair. The humble veteran was proud of his hometown and was the first one to help in his community.

“I remember one of our storms that we had here, trees had fallen down on the road, and he brought out his own personal equipment to help get it cleared off the road,” said Mayor Connors. “He was a down-to-earth type of person.”

“He wanted to increase the town and activities. He created a farm fest that he used to have in the springtime every year. … While he was serving, they started a conversation with C2 North Carolina to bring the biogas — that was started during his time as mayor,” said Mayor Connors. “His objectives were always to try to increase things here.”

Connors also shared that Eason had a desire to bring softball and baseball to the Warsaw Recreation Center to host tournaments and was a big advocate for senior citizens. “He pushed to open up the recreation center so that the county could bring lunch for senior citizens.”

A service will be held on Saturday, June 8 at Community Funeral Home of Warsaw at 2 p.m.. Eason is survived by his wife Crystal Eason; son Dail Eason and wife, Meridith Brown Eason; stepson Shawn Michael Brown; stepdaughter Michelle Catherin Brown and two grandchildren, Fallon Lanier and Willow Brown Eason.