Lydia Eastburn, 82

Lydia Ann Eastburn, M.D., 82, died Nov. 1, 2023. 

She was a graduate of Temple University Medical School and Loma Linda University's Ob-Gyn residency program. She practiced obstetrics and gynecology at Providence Hospital Anchorage from 1974 until 2002. 

Having developed a worsening movement disorder in 1998, she retired and became increasingly unable to live an independent lifestyle. In 2008, she moved to Lakeside, Montana with her sister, Celia. She developed painful orthopedic problems and spent her last months in a nursing home. 

On the medical staff of Providence Hospital, she was valued for her competence and maturity. Years of on-call availability involved middle of night awakenings for deliveries, emergencies, or just telephone assurance to those unable to manage their anxieties till the following morning, all while maintaining her equanimity. Unlike her male colleagues, she was never one to complain, drink, chew, curse, spit, gossip, or find fault with others. Day in, day out she was there to support her patients and staff. 

She was loved and respected by nurses and fellow physicians, who felt the loss of her premature retirement and mourned her departure. She was a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington College of Medicine, with medical students rotating through her office. 

Lydia's interests were varied. Her love of travel took her to some portion of every continent and throughout much of Alaska. She read widely with a special interest in the accomplishments of women. 

She is survived by her sister, Celia Eastburn, of Kalispell, Montana.