Evans Neumann

Evans Edward Neumann, 65, passed away on Tuesday, May 27, 2014. He was born on April 17, 1949 in West Union, Iowa. His family moved to Burbank, Ca in the 1950's where he attended John Burroughs High School.

Evans was passionate about anything with a motor and fueled that passion by working at Triumph of Burbank until he was drafted in March 1969. He served in the Americal Division of the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1970-1971 as a tank mechanic. Upon his return home he married Sha-Ron Gay Brennan and they and her 2 children, Melinda and Chad, moved to Ventura, Ca. The Neumann family made Ventura their new lifelong home and Evans and Sha-Ron welcomed their only child together, Kirstin, to the family in 1983. Evans owned and operated Neumann Transmission Service before beginning work as a General Contractor.

In 1994 he began a new company, Safeguard Building Inspection Services. He loved inspecting homes and working with his favorite Realtors. After Sha-Ron's passing in 1999 Evans decided it was time to go drag racing. From that point on most days he spent working on, testing or planning on how to make the new Junior Fuel Dragster run quicker and faster. Evans' daughter drove the car for the first few years and Fred Notzka has been driving ever since.

Finally, in April 2014 the Neumann, Notzka and Farr racing team took home their first, Final Round Victory. Evans spent his last day working on transmissions in the garage before heading over to his friend's to help work on the house and sit by the pool. He chatted with the neighbors when he got home, resigned to his favorite recliner with his favorite cat, Toots, drank a Keystone Light and went to bed. A neighbor shared that "He seemed the happiest he'd been in a long time."

Evans is survived and deeply missed by his daughter, Kirstin Neumann, his granddaughter on the way, his stepchildren Melinda Hooper and Chad Brennan, and Melinda's children Bryanne, Ian and Kevin.

Arrangements under the direction of Charles Carroll Funeral Home, Ventura, CA.