Evelyn Mary Davis

Evelyn went to Saratoga Springs High School until 11th grade, after that she moved to Hackensack, New Jersey where she had her first son, Marcellus Anthony Walker.

She would spend her teens in the New York and New Jersey areas. Later she would move to Kansas City to Marry Richard W. Davis and at the tender age of 22, she found herself with three boys. Soon after she would divorce and become a single-mother raising her children in the Kansas City area. From here she would move to Grandview, Mo for better schools, a better neighborhood, and to purchase a home there. Shortly after relocating to Grandview she would marry again but this union did not last long, once again finding herself as a single mother of three boys. Her boys were everything to her and she would often work three and four jobs to make ends meet especially when GM was on strike. She was the type of Mother that sacrificed everything so her boys could have a better life. Even going without eating just as long as her boys went to sleep with full bellies.

Evelyn was feisty to say the least and didn’t take any mess from anyone. Once she moved to the Kansas City area, she would find jobs as a toll booth worker for the Broadway Bridge, Hallmark Cards, the Kansas City Police Department and other jobs just to make ends meet. In the late 60’s she was hired by General Motors at the Leeds Plant in Kansas City, Mo. Working for GM provided educational opportunities to her where she would later earn her GED. Once the Kansas City plant shutdown, she transferred to the Fairfax plant and then to Fort Wayne, Indiana where she worked in the Truck plant for General Motors. She was promoted to a Trainer where she gained a following because her classes were so much fun. Having spent most of her career on the assembly line she found her calling training people for GM. She would then find herself relocating to New Haven, Indiana where she would build her house and meet her life partner, Tony Perugini. Evelyn and Tony spent many years together traveling, going to resorts and enjoying each others company before his passing. She retired from General Motors in 2005 after 30+ years of service. From here she would end up moving back to the Kansas City area to be closer to her family.

Once she found her home in the Raintree Villa Development in Lee’s Summit, Mo, she would go on to work part-time jobs just to get out of the house and have some extra money for bowling. Evelyn was an avid Bowler on several leagues and would even go to Las Vegas with her team to compete for prize money. She participated in the Women’s Championship League for 25 years and never missed a tournament. Bowling was a huge part of her life.

To know Evelyn was to immediately love her. She never met a stranger, you typically heard her before you saw her, she would almost break ribs as she hugged you and then she would talk to you forever. Most that encountered her, would tell you that she made you feel like no one else existed and she had this unique gift of making you feel better than you did prior to talking to her.

Evelyn is survived by her two sons, Ricky (Brenda) and André (Jill); a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces & nephews; and her dog, Noah. She really enjoyed spending time, when they could, with Santana (grandchild), Monique (niece) and Rikki Renae (grandchild). She was so very proud of Jailyn (grandchild) as she earned her college degree in Education and then learning that she secured her first teaching position in the Blue Valley School District. However, every Thursday she spent time with her youngest grandson, Jace and her eyes just lit up every time she saw him. Often babysitting him and attending his elementary school programs, they had a very special connection.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Josephine; father, Jacob; sister, Marlene; brothers, Genie and Reggie; her son, Marcellus A. Walker; and grandchild, David Dupree. She leaves behind her sister, Roslyn (Steven); and her baby brother, Tyrone. Evelyn has left a void to those that knew and loved her and she will be forever missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Kansas City Hospice House and/or Big Brothers Big Sisters-Kansas City in her honor.