Paul Evangelista

With heavy hearts, we share that Paul Evangelista, beloved husband, brother, cousin, godfather, and friend, passed away on June 4th, 2024, in Surrey, BC, at age 49, following a courageous battle with cancer. He was predeceased by his father, Sabatino and his brother, Paolo.

He is survived by his wife, Giselle Jallad, his mother, Pasquina Evangelista, his brother, Tony (Leslie) Evangelista, his sister, Lisa Banigan, his five nieces and nephews, Nicola (Melissa), Trevor, Michael, Justine (Kiel), and Jarrad, many cousins and relatives in Canada, Australia, and Italy.

A proud resident of East Van, Paul was born on July 15th of 1974 in Vancouver, BC, and his arrival was much anticipated by all. He was doted upon, receiving lots of attention from his family. In many ways, his entry into this world was celebrated and viewed with great optimism, opening a new chapter for his parents, siblings, cousins, and other extended family.

As Paul grew older, he developed a passion for many things, especially sports and the arts. As a child, Paul began playing hockey, something he really loved, at Britannia minor hockey where he met many new friends. Being part of a team and taking his role as goalie seriously, he carried his hockey equipment with pride to practices and games and loved being on the ice.

Another life-long passion of Paul’s was theatre. Being part of Theatre Temp was a highlight of his teen and young adult years and a place of true belonging. The mentorship of and friendship with Jim Crescenzo continued throughout the years, and Paul spent time in his early twenties mentoring students in the theatre program at Templeton and Van Tech. In many ways, this was his way of giving back as being involved in drama helped him gain a supportive community of friends and helped instill self-confidence and pride in himself.

Paul has told many stories of his involvement in Theatre Under the Stars, and this experience led him to become involved with Tony ‘N’ Tina’s Wedding in 1995 where he found his home. He initially joined the cast and crew, as a stage manager, and moved to sound design before acting in the role of Sal, the photographer. Having an amazing memory, Paul often told stories about the fun times he had and the deep friendships he cultivated with many of those he worked with during the sixteen years the show was running. Going back for the reunion shows in 2009 was such a thrill for Paul and it was vividly apparent that he had many good friends with whom he was excited to reconnect on stage.

Paul’s creativity extended into many areas including stone work and wood work. He began working in the stone industry in 1999, and spent twenty-five years honing his craft, designing and fabricating many kitchens and fireplace surrounds, just to name a few. He also cultivated honest and respectful working relationships with his colleagues, designers, suppliers, and customers, making a name for himself in the industry.

Taking on another medium, he began working on other projects, designing custom furniture, often using reclaimed wood to make something new, to give it a new life. Tinkering, as he called it, was his way to relax and use his hands to see his ideas come to fruition. Spending many hours in the garage invigorated his spirit, and he was proud of the many refinished or designed pieces that are proudly showcased in our home, which he created over the years.

For nearly 18 years, Paul and his wife, Giselle, traveled throughout BC, frequenting Harrison Hot Springs and Kelowna the most. These were locations that held a special place in both their hearts, and so many great memories were made in the dozens of visits to the village and city, respectively. Just prior to Paul’s cancer diagnosis, we visited Kelowna and our regular stomping grounds there, enjoying picnics after visiting our favourite Italian deli and taking long walks at City Park. These are cherished memories that will not soon be forgotten.

After returning from this last trip to Kelowna, Paul’s battle with cancer started in September of 2023, following an excruciating headache that would not go away, which lead to the sudden, devastating discovery of metastasized cancer in his cerebellum. Despite the challenges that come with a diagnosis of this magnitude, Paul valiantly fought, maintaining a positive attitude through brain surgery, five rounds of radiation, four rounds of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. For a month following his third round of chemo, there was some relief since we received news the cancer was shrinking since it was responding to treatment. It seemed like all his effort to withstand the exhaustion and discomfort was worth it, but unfortunately, soon afterward we learned the cancer had spread into multiple areas of his brain. His courage was incredible as he went back into radiation for ten more rounds of treatment, which was debilitating, but he just kept at it, hopeful that this aggressive round of treatment would control the cancer, which proved to be relentless. Paul’s strength and tenacity are something to be admired and respected.

If you wish to join his family in honouring Paul, please see the following service information:

Following a mass of Christian burial, on June 18th at 10 am at St. Francis of Assisi Parish (2025 Napier St., Vancouver), Paul will be laid to rest at 2 pm at Forest Lawn Cemetery (3789 Royal Oak, Burnaby).

In lieu of flowers, donations to the BC Cancer Foundation or and/or Surrey Hospitals Foundation are appreciated.

Please see the following links below should you wish to make a donation: https://bccancerfoundation.com/donations/general-donation-form/ https://surreyhospitalsfoundation.crowdchange.ca/42225/donate