Evelyn Stebbins

Evelyn was born on October 21, 1921 to John and Anna Feltus at her parents’ home in Nutley, NJ. She attended high school in Nutley, and Rutgers University’s art school in Newark, NJ. Evelyn and Charles (Charlie) Stebbins were married on May 6, 1959 in the Stebbins family home in Lake Charles. LA. Shortly thereafter, they found and purchased their home in Taylor Lake Village and lived there together until Charlie’s death in February 2006. Evelyn’s health declined steadily following Charlie’s passing, but she was determined to remain in her home. Her ability to do so was solely due to the love, loyalty, devotion, skill and tireless care of her caregiver, Kathleen Brewer.

Evelyn had a difficult childhood and early life, losing her Mother in 1923, and her Father in 1929. She was raised first by her paternal grandmother, who died in 1932, then by her Father’s sister. Anxious to get out on her own, Evelyn left Rutgers and went to work as a fashion buyer at the famous Macy’s Department Store in New York, eventually becoming a department manager. Looking for new challenges, she heard about a company called Joske’s, and their plans to open a major store at Gulfgate Mall in faraway Houston, Texas. She applied, was hired and left New York for Houston in 1956.

Evelyn and Charlie were introduced by mutual friends at Thanksgiving, 1958, both in their late 30’s. It was literally love at first sight for the two of them, and they were together for 47 years until Charlie’s passing. When Charlie found out about Evelyn’s artistic talents, he pressed her to leave Joske’s and embark on a career as an artist. As a demonstration of his commitment to her new career, he sold his beloved Corvette and bought Evelyn a robin’s-egg blue Ford station wagon that became a fixture along Texas roadsides as she hauled her pallets, easels and canvases to the many locations at which she painted. Her signature paintings are of the Kemah channel with the old drawbridge surrounded by sailboats and sea gulls.

Evelyn became an accomplished and acclaimed artist, with numerous one-woman shows at major galleries in Houston. She studied under nationally known water colourists. She was a signature member of the Texas Watercolor Society, and held memberships in the Houston Art League, and the Southwestern Watercolor Society. In 1960, she and Charlie purchased property along Texas Highway 146 in Kemah and opened a studio, gallery and frame shop. The building had once been Kemah’s first school house, and the business operated successfully for over 20 years. Evelyn and Charlie donated the building to the City of Kemah, and it stands today in the Kemah Boardwalk area, where it is a community center and museum.

Once in the gallery, Evelyn began taking on students and taught painting to many prominent area artists, the most famous of whom is Alan Bean who presented her with a painting of himself on the moon inscribed, “To Evelyn Stebbins: the greatest art teacher on Earth or its Moon.”

Visitation for Evelyn will be held from 5 to 7 PM Friday, March 9 at Forest Park East, 21620 Gulf Freeway Frontage Road, League City, TX. Services will held there at 10 AM on Saturday, March 10.

In lieu of flowers, Evelyn’s wish was for donations to be sent to the St. Joseph’s Indian School, 1301 N Main Street, Chamberlain, SD 57325.