Laurel Evans

On August 2, Laurel Evans passed away peacefully in the presence of her husband of fifty-six years, Gary Evans.  She is survived by her husband Gary, sister Lois Busby, sons John Evans and Bill Evans, daughter-in-law Mi Gyoung Yoo, granddaughter Ella Evans, and beloved canine companion, Bernie.
Laurel was born in Maynard, Iowa in 1944 and grew up on the family farm.  She attended East Central High School, where she was a member of Future Teachers of America, played varsity basketball, represented her school at the Iowa state track meet in two events, and served as homecoming queen.
Upon graduation with a B.A. in Secondary Education from Wartburg College in 1966, she married Gary Evans and joined him in Hayes, Kansas and, later, Greeley, Colorado, where he was in pursuit of graduate degrees.  Laurel drove an unreliable Saab 96 and worked as a teacher to subsidize his studies.  They lived happily in a trailer they shared with a basset hound named Bugle and a Saint Bernard named Greta.
In 1973 the young couple relocated to Chillicothe, Ohio, where Laurel would eventually teach Reading and Science at Smith and Mount Logan middle schools for a total of twenty-eight years, while also raising two boys, with all the athletic and academic transportation, oversight and occasional discipline that requires.  Though a sometimes indifferent cook, she could easily rise to the occasion on holidays.  In her "spare" time, she earned a Master in Education degree from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1986.  She loved dogs, long bicycle rides, including those during yearly trips to Hilton Head, and shopping for antiques, especially early American furniture and additions to her collection of scales and balances.  Laurel loved being a teacher, and concern for and commitment to her students extended well beyond the classroom.
In 2010, after being diagnosed with small cell lung cancer, Laurel persevered through radiation and chemotherapy to make a full recovery, exhibiting the resolve and determination that would later serve her in her fights against cardiac and pulmonary diseases.  She always attributed her positive attitude to her mother, Lena May Woods, whom she would visit during extended trips to Iowa every summer throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
In later life, Laurel enjoyed exploring the world with her husband Gary, and spent several Christmas vacations in London.  Eventually, they visited over twenty countries together, and she said her most memorable trips were to Egypt and Scotland.  Laurel was also active in community clubs and activities as a member of P.E.O., The Thrift Shop Guild, The Ross County Public Library Book Club, Great Seal Investment Club, Chillicothe Garden Club, Historic Chillicothe Preservation Inc., and the League of Women Voters.  For many years she was a member of Orchard Hill United Church of Christ, where she also served as a deacon and trustee.
Graveside funeral services will be held 11:00 am Monday, August 15, 2022 in Grandview Cemetery.  Calling hours will not be observed.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Appalachia Ohio Alliance, The Wilderness Society, or Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Ohio.
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