Evelyn Neumeyer

Evelyn Neumeyer (Wayland, MA & Concord, MA) died on November 10, 2026, at the age of 90. She was a lifelong learner, a devoted wife and mother, and a woman who met the world with curiosity and quiet grace.

Evelyn was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She attended K410 Abraham Lincoln High School, graduating at sixteen and began classes at City College of New York, studying history while working full time to help support her parents and four siblings. At age 19, while camping on Lake George with her closest friend she met John Neumeyer. They were married shortly after, moved to Madison, Wisconsin (so John could pursue a PhD) and enjoyed an incredible 66 years together.

Evelyn later completed her degree in education at Northeastern University, graduating in 1980, where John was a professor of chemistry. After graduating, she taught elementary school for several years. Through it all, she ran a busy household, raised three children along with a changing cast of pets that John tended to bring home without warning, and stayed active in politics and advocacy, especially through the League of Women Voters. She held a lasting conviction that the right to vote matters.

Evelyn was also a committed member of her community in Wayland. She took on leadership roles at the Wayland Town Library and at Temple Shir Tikva, where she gave her time generously, and where she was valued as a thoughtful and steady presence.

Evelyn never said no to an adventure. When John was a Fulbright professor at the University of Konstanz, she spent a year in Germany and became fluent in German, delighted by the challenge. She continued German classes throughout her life after, adding at times Hebrew, Spanish and Italian. Nearly twenty years later, during a second sabbatical in Amsterdam, she set out to learn Dutch just as eagerly. She followed John up and down mountains around the world, learned to swim, bike, kayak, canoe, ski, hike, travel and delight in new tastes and cultures. Evelyn was rarely seen without a book. She loved classical music, opera, museums, and art, and she especially valued her many seasons attending the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She adored her lakeside home in Maine, hearing the loons in the summer and watching the snow accumulate in the winter, where the ever-growing family gathered for lake and mountain pursuits.

In 1980, Evelyn and John founded Research Biochemicals, a specialty neurochemical company. While John led the science, Evelyn served as President, and together they grew the business from the basement of their home into a major laboratory and facility in the Boston area. After the company was sold, she gave her time and leadership to the Ladders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in support of children with autism.

Evelyn was also a committed member of her community in Wayland. She took on leadership roles at the Wayland Town Library and at Temple Shir Tikva, where she gave her time generously, and was valued as a thoughtful and steady presence.

Above all, Evelyn loved her family. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, John L. Neumeyer (1930 - 2023). She is survived by her three children, Ann, David, and Elizabeth (Rob Orgel); nine grandchildren (Rebecca (Peter Anspach), Julia (Peter Kaplan) & Evan Chinman; Max (Anna), Calvin & Corinne Neumeyer; and Andrew, Caroline & Aaron Orgel; as well as two great-grandchildren, Sasha and Otto, all of whom were a source of great pride to her.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Evelyn's memory to the American Lung Association, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, or the Lurie Center for Autism at Mass General Brigham. May her memory be a blessing.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 13, 2026 at 10:30 AM at Temple Shir Tikva 141 Boston Post Road, Wayland, MA 01778, with burial to follow at North Cemetery, Old Sudbury Road, Wayland, MA 01778.