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In memory of

Sheri Lyn Eastman

Upper Marlboro, MD, USA

December 15, 1969 - May 5, 2021

Dec 15, 1969 - May 5, 2021

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Sheri Lyn Inman Eastman, born December 15, 1969, in Trenton, New Jersey, was the youngest of six children of Daisy C. Inman and the late Edward Inman. She was the god-daughter of the late Isabelle and Lendo Breeden. Sheri’s sister-niece and soul partner DuEwa Edwards-Dickson was also born 5 months earlier than Sheri in July, 1969. The two of them would go on to share their lives as children, and then their adult milestones as wives and mothers - often within months of each other - until Sheri departed this life on May 5, 2021.

Sheri’s genius revealed itself early on, beginning with her involvement in a phonics-based reading program - The New Approach Method - created by a Trenton educator. As a student at Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd, Monument Elementary, Bethany Lutheran, Mercer Christian Academy, and finally Notre Dame High School – Sheri was a consummate academic. Her countless awards reflected her life-long dedication to intellectual excellence and curiosity. Sheri was perpetually on the honor roll, a member of the National Honor Society, and a National Merit Scholar.

Along with her academics, Sheri was an athlete – recognized for her performance in track and gymnastics. She was affectionately called “the 2nd Black cheerleader” while at Notre Dame High School by her brother Paris – in honor of the infrequent appearance of Black girls on the school’s squad. Beyond the field, Sheri remained our family’s biggest cheerleader and carried with her the gift of encouraging and believing in the greatness of every human with whom she came into contact. Anyone who encountered Sheri benefitted from her natural proclivity toward support and upliftment.

During her early years, Sheri amassed an impressive stamp collection, enjoyed studying German at her middle school, and for fun (and at the annoyance of her mother and older brother Paris) would predict the family’s grocery bill as her mother shopped (tax included) – down to the penny. She also designed and sewed costumes for The Carol Watson-Johnson dance theatre of Trenton in January 1988.

After high school graduation, Sheri followed her older siblings Taiwo and Paris to the Washington, DC metro area where she began her college career as a mathematics major at the University of Maryland. During her time there, Sheri also worked as a math teacher at NationHouse – a private, African-centered school, and the Academy for Ideal Education – a school co-founded by her older brother Taiwo. At both schools, she had the unique opportunity to teach several of her nieces and nephews and a large community of young people – many of whom would be inspired by her example as a master instructor and become stellar teachers and administrators in their own right.

Sheri made a “List of Things I Want to Do”. They included: “make or develop an awesome circle of friends”, “learn to speed read”, and “become a proficient seamstress (& learn other crafts)”. She accomplished them all and mastered quilting and knitting on top of these. Sheri was also an avid biker. Not only did she become an expert bicycle repairwoman, she rode long distances, even taking a 3-week cycling trip from Vermont to Quebec and back. During her time at the University of Maryland, Sheri was a co-developer of the Black Student Union handbook and was initiated into the Herut Nst Ast (Sitting on the Throne of the Divine Mother Principle) Afrikan Sorority.

Sheri completed her studies at the University of Maryland and obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics in 1995. After graduation, she quickly enrolled at Bowie State University and earned her Masters of Art in Teaching in 1999.

While in graduate school, Sheri began her teaching career in the Prince George’s County school system. She taught at Surrattsville High School in Clinton, Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, and at the Academy of Health Sciences High School in Largo where she served as a Mathematics and Computer Science teacher until her untimely passing. Sheri’s instructional expertise and content knowledge benefitted innumerable students and teachers alike, as she served as a computer trainer, content reviewer, technology workshop presenter, mathematics teacher coordinator, achievement coach, and curriculum writer in schools throughout Prince George’s County.

Never one to limit her reach, Sheri imparted her math skills to countless residents of Prince George’s County through regular appearances on the local public access cable channel. She also taught math as an adjunct professor at Prince George’s Community College.

Sheri was a devoted wife and dedicated mother. On July 7, 2007 (777), Sheri married Carlos Orlando Eastman. In 2009, they welcomed their only daughter, Carlita Sherise. As husband and wife, Sheri and Carlos cherished and adored each other, and took the vows “in sickness and in health” to heart. They loved each other with joy and intention despite the significant health challenges that presented themselves toward the end of Carlos’ life. He preceded her in death in 2012.

As a mother, one never saw Sheri without Carlita at her hip just like the relationship she had with her own mother. Two peas in a pod, the love they shared was palpable and a delight to witness. As evidenced by their trips to the library, museums, concerts, the beach, and a shared love of cultural foods and restaurants. In her parents, Carlita has gained two powerful guardian angels upon whose wings she can ride the rest of her life, along with the commitment and support of the Eastman and Inman clans.

Sheri was a woman of tremendous faith. Raised in the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal church in Trenton, NJ, she continued her walk as a member of the Greater Mount Nebo AME Church in Bowie, MD. Sheri possessed a deep curiosity in her faith that informed a profound, reverent, analytical way of communing with God, focused on practical application. She prayed for everyone – her family, her students, her co-workers. She had a practice of meditating on scripture – taking the time to write out bible verses and then ways that she could “try this” in real life. Sheri walked with God in a way that was intimate and evident in her everyday dealings with others, for example, serving as a Christian clown for community service while in high school. Spiritual guidance for her was real and her life serves as an example of the many ways that God works through us in human form.

Sheri’s family meant everything to her and she showed her love through her constant presence in the lives of family members near and far. Influenced by family reunions, she was the originator of the Johnson-Layton-Wilson (JLW) Cousins’ Camp – a yearly convening of the children and grandchildren of her siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins. Everyone looked forward to Cousins’ Camp – where they would study family history, take field trips, visit with family members in other states, and generally have great fun just being with each other as members of the JLW clan. The lessons, chants, stepping routines, and stories of Cousins’ Camp endure to this day and will serve as inspiration for future generations of Cousins’ Camp counselors and attendees into perpetuity.
As a teacher, Sheri was incredibly devoted to her students and her mentees. She understood the importance of transferring knowledge in impactful, effective ways and sought to inject levity into every lesson. She had the unique ability to make math less daunting and threatening because she never, ever lost touch with her own inner child and commitment to play! Many of us witnessed her ability to (still) execute cartwheels and cheers decades after high school. Sheri was ever ready with a nerdy joke, a nickname, and a hearty laugh for all who came into contact with her. She was, indeed, one of a kind.

Sheri understood the magnitude of mentoring and pouring into others. She did this at every turn; and her personal and professional life reflected this. She founded the STEPS (Summer Technology Enrichment Program at Surrattsville H.S.) and served as tutor, mentor, Praxis I mathematics coach for aspiring teachers, academic games designer, and achievement coach at several institutions across the Washington, DC metro area. She also received several awards recognizing her teaching excellence, including the Christa McCauliffe Award in 2014.

She never, ever stopped learning. In 2005, she became a member of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards certified in Adolescent/Young Adults Mathematics. She also held the Advanced Professional Certificate in Secondary Mathematics Education for the state of Maryland.

Sheri leaves to cherish her incredible legacy – her daughter, Carlita Eastman; her mother, Daisy C. Inman; her siblings: Makini Niliwaambieni, Robin Bryant (Bobby), Taiwo Inman (Carmen), Gregory, and Paris (Renee), an aunt: Evangelist Shirley Johnson, a host of cousins, devoted friends and more than 40 beloved nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

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