Delaine Eastin, a trailblazer who is among a handful of women ever elected to statewide office in California, has died after suffering a stroke, according to her representatives. She was 76.
“Delaine will be remembered for her boundless intellect, infinitely compassionate spirit, sharp sense of humor, and courageous leadership in local, state, national and international realms,” said a statement released by those close to Eastin after her death on April 23. “Her love of education, children, animals, gardens, and the arts shined through everything that she did.”
The first and only woman elected state superintendent of public schools, Eastin and her then-husband were unable to have children. After she won the post in 1994, Eastin recalled that he told her, “Now you have 6.1 million children.”
This ethos was rooted in Eastin’s core beliefs. She grew up in a blue-collar family that stressed the importance of education. Her…
