Last Respects for a Shoeshine Man : Customers From Corporate World Say He Brightened Their Lives in Many Ways

Sam Eason was a man of polish in every sense of the word.

Not only could he make you look good at the three-seat shoeshine stand he ran in a corner of a parking garage in Los Angeles’ high-rise district, Eason could make you feel good, too.

With a few deft strokes he could resuscitate the most badly worn pair of wingtips. With a few deft words he could rejuvenate the weariest lawyer or stockbroker.

No wonder the downtown business district seemed an empty place Friday as corporate executives traveled to South Los Angeles to pay their final respects to a man whose wit and wisdom always was brighter than any spit shine.

Eason died Monday of complications from diabetes. He was buried Friday on what would have been his 59th birthday.

“If you were down, Sam brought you up,” said commercial realty executive Bill Dougherty, a thrice-a-week customer for 28 years. “If you were feeling good when you sat down, you were feeling even better when you got up.”

Lawyer Lawrence Forbes often tried out his trial arguments on Eason before heading for court. “He’d tell me if it worked or didn’t. He understood Everyman,” Forbes said.

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“It didn’t matter the color of your skin or the color of your shoes. Sam was a good friend to everyone,” said office systems manager Timothy Matthews. Added copier company executive Phil Cannon: “There was nothing phony about Sam.”

Eason loyally followed his customers when the downtown financial district moved west from Spring Street. And his customers stayed loyal to him--even after they were transferred to places such as Century City, Mission Viejo and the San Fernando Valley. Rey Cano even drove in twice a week from Alhambra for shines after he retired from his downtown job.

Back at 8th and Flower streets at the shoeshine stand, flowers covered the empty seats. Shock covered real estate broker John Eichler’s face when he walked up and spied the hand-printed sign telling of Eason’s death. Parking garage attendant Aster Gebre remembered how Eason would cheer her up by joking and dancing.

At the service, attorney John Yzurdiaga recounted how Eason dreamed of owning a Cadillac but settled for an Oldsmobile when he bought his first new car in 1972: “He said he didn’t think it was smart to own a better car than his clients.”

Eason was eulogized by Highway Patrol Officer John Bavetta, who showed up wearing the CHP motorcycle boots that Eason had kept gleaming for so many years. He cried as he reminded the crowd of more than 100 of their friend’s habits--including his penchant for betting on horses.

“It would have been nice to see Sam hit it big and let somebody else shine his shoes,” Bavetta said before turning to salute Eason’s plain, gray coffin. “Right now Sam is kicking back, having his halo shined.”