Donald “Don” Matthew Evans left this world as he lived, with joy, love, and God in his heart. After 88 years and a wonderful life (one of his favorite movies), he died peacefully on March 15, 2024.
Don was born on February 2, 1936, and raised in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, by his loving parents, Earl and Claire (Billotte) Evans. He graduated from Clearfield High School. He proudly served his country as a sailor in the United States Navy from 1953 through 1957 during the Korean War. He and the love of his life, Mary Lou Evans, landed in Galion, Ohio, to raise their six children. They had a loving marriage for 62 years before Mary Lou passed in 2020.
Don was a devout Catholic and a proud parishioner of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Galion where he served as a longtime member of the Knights of Columbus. His church and Cursillo families were places where he volunteered countless hours and made many lifelong friends. He and Mary Lou had a strong faith – which they needed – to raise their six children. The values of the Catholic faith guided them through parenthood and created a deep family bond that will live as their legacy through their children and beyond.
He believed in hard work and worked professionally in sheet metal and HVAC for most of his life, retiring from Ohio Edison.
Those who knew Don describe him as a gentle soul with an ornery nature. He loved to tease and joke to lighten the mood in a room. He was kind, giving, and patient (see the six kids noted above).
Don loved to spend time at Sleepy Hollows Campground in Port Clinton and even has a street named after him, “Mayor Evans” Drive. He was also an avid hunter and spent many years at deer camps with his hunting buddies, making memories that he often would recall with fondness. The Outer Banks was another favorite spot, and would go there annually with his siblings, and their families. He loved to tinker and work with his hands, and you often found him breaking things and putting them back together in his garage.
Winemaking was a hobby, although not a mastered one. Most of his wine had you breathing fire—just the way he liked it. He enjoyed sharing wines with friends and was always up for a party. In his later years, he would spend hours reading and enjoyed this leisurely activity.
He is preceded in death by his fourth child, Scott C. Evans, his father and mother, brothers Eddy and Jerry, and his sister, Carol (Perkins). He is survived by his sister, Mary Elaine Evans; brother-in-law, Jim Perkins: five children: Cheryl (Stephen) Proctor, Michael (Molly), Keith (Kristie), Neil (Donna), and Nikki (Buck) Workman; 16 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, and many other friends that he called “family.”
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00am on Friday, March 22, 2024, at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Galion, with Father Paul Fahrbach, Celebrant. Burial with Full Military Honors will follow Mass at Mt. Calvary Cemetery.
The family will hold a celebration of Don’s life at 4:00pm on Saturday, April 27, 2024, the location will be announced at a later date.
Memorial Contributions can be made to Gentiva Hospice.
Those wishing to share a memory of Don or send condolences to the Evans family may do so by visiting www.masfh.com.
The Mark A. Schneider-Gompf Funeral Home, 303 Portland Way North, Galion is honored to serve the family of Donald “Don” Matthew Evans.
Funeral Home: Mark A. Schneider-Gompf Funeral Home; Galion
Website: www.masfh.com