Mary Lou Evans

Mary Lou Evans died on April 6, 2021 in Arlington, VA at the age of 95. Born August 29, 1925, she was the daughter of Leonard and Katherine (Davis) Johnson. Although she was born in Miami Beach, Florida, the family soon moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, where she grew up. Near the end of World War II, she married Sgt. Lewis M. Evans III on August. 2, 1945. They set up housekeeping in Media, PA and raised three children there: David, Susan and Ellen. She and her husband later lived in Massachusetts and Maine before moving permanently to Virginia. Mary Lou had the heart and soul of a volunteer. She served in many community capacities over the years, but her most abiding commitment was to the United Methodist Church. From working in local churches, she rose in leadership of the United Methodist’s Women’s Division, attending national conferences and making mission trips to Nicaragua and Honduras. In the late 1970s she began a two-year internship with The Guild for Spiritual Guidance in Briarcliff Manor, New York. Following that work, she became a sought-after spiritual counselor. Her husband Lew built a retreat center, Berkana, on their property in Cape Neddick, Maine, where many traveled for weekend retreats and workshops. She was a personal counselor for numerous members of the clergy as well. Her love for gardening, bird watching, and needlework were contagious, with many family members adopting her passions. She was particularly skilled in crewelwork, and even learned to dye her own wool. She was a voracious reader, and always had a book going until her eyesight failed her late in life. Mary Lou is survived by her children, David L. Evans (Eva Griffeth) of Arlington, VA, Susan E. Trask (Elwood) of Auburn, ME, and Ellen J. Evans of Providence, RI; two brothers, Stanley and Allan (Margarita), both of West Chester, PA; sister-in-law Shirley Johnson of Homosassa, FL; 15 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She treasured her relationships with the grandchildren and great grands, and she was a proud matriarch of both the Evans and Johnson families. For many years she and Lew hosted grand family reunions, where relatives from far and wide would gather and re-connect. These are precious family memories for so many. In 1985 the Boston University School of Theology established a scholarship in Mary Lou’s honor, supported by the Sudbury Unity Methodist Church and various clients and friends. Memorial donations may be made to this fund by checks made out to Trustees of Boston University with STH Mary Lou Evans Fund in the memo to Boston School of Theology, 745 Commonwealth Ave., Boston MA 02215. Donations may also be made online at http://www.bu.edu/sth/giving/. Find School of Theology and type in Mary Lou Evans Fund in the comment section. A memorial service will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at some point in the future.