Harold Bradley Evans Jr.

He was born on October 12, 1937, in Watertown, NY, the son of Harold B. Evans, Sr. and Kathleen (Whearty) Evans. A true son of the North Country, he delighted in snowstorms and wintry weather his entire life. Brad graduated from Williston Academy (now Williston Northampton School) in East Hampton, MA in 1955. He went on to study at Yale University (B.A., 1959), delivering birthday cakes to fellow students to help pay his way through school. After graduation, Brad went to the Navy’s Officer Candidate School, receiving his commission in 1960. After serving on the U.S.S. Wasp for two years, he spent three years working in the Navy’s Pentagon War Room (CNO Flag Plot) in Washington, D.C. Brad was very proud of his service to his country, and received a commendation for his role in collecting, compiling, and presenting critical information to admirals and leading Navy Department civilians during the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962. He closed his military service as a full Lieutenant in 1964.

Brad was well known for his remarkable work ethic, perhaps best demonstrated by his completion of night law school while still working full time at the Pentagon and then at GEICO as a claims adjuster and bodily injury examiner. After graduating from Georgetown Law in 1966, he clerked for the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. He worked for a few different law firms in Northern Virginia during his career where he received several awards and was elected to two terms on the Virgina State Bar Council. He also served as the President of the Alexandria Bar Association and as Chairman of the Committee to Reduce Litigation Costs and Delays. He was voted by his peers for Best Lawyers in America from 1983 until 2007. In 1998, he was elected as a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation in recognition of both his integrity and his professional competence. Brad combined his legal skills with a kindhearted spirit, being active in legal aid and often recognized for his pro bono work. He regarded his legal profession as a calling and made lasting friendships with colleagues that continued long after his retirement at age 70.

Brad was especially well known for his abiding love of fishing. He planned and promoted many trips with law partners and other friends to Wachapreague, VA and the Outer Banks in NC. He liked to remark that his most important educational distinction was his triple graduation from the NC State Sport Fishing School in Hatteras, NC, which he attended separately with each of his three sons. One of his proudest moments on the water was watching his eldest reel in a white marlin— which still holds the record as the family’s biggest fish after several decades! Brad also acquired a love of birds from his father and was able to name a great number of species on sight. He maintained a series of bird feeders for many years, waging a long (and often unsuccessful) contest with neighborhood squirrels.

Brad’s devotion to his family was at the core of his being. He was a loving husband and described his beloved Allene to his college classmates as “a lovely, wonderful wife with intelligence, kindness, goodness, and a lively sense of humor.” Their happy marriage was marked by many lovely outings and other wonderful experiences, including travels to Italy, Provence, Oberammergau, as well as other various trips with Reynolda House. Brad’s conversations with his two younger brothers were a true delight to behold, full of jokes, tales of yore, and peals of laughter. He served as a soccer coach for his eldest son and was a faithful fan for his sons’ and grandkids’ sporting events and other endeavors over the years. He was a great encourager of the careers and pursuits of his children and grandchildren. His sons and grandsons will always remember their fishing trips with their beloved Dad and “Pa” on the Atlantic Ocean, Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River, and in other lakes and rivers along the eastern seaboard.

Brad was also well known as a devout Catholic and frequently attended daily mass. One of his most striking qualities was his humble regard for his own impressive achievements. He was an unassuming Yale graduate who paired a sharp legal mind with an aversion towards both elitism and boasting. Brad had a high degree of integrity and a strong moral compass but still maintained an unshakeable sense that others should be free to make their own choices. He learned deep lessons from his own struggles with anxiety and perfectionism and liked to remind the troubled or conscience-stricken to “be gentle with yourself.”

After living 35 years in Alexandria, VA, Brad and his wife moved to Winston-Salem in 2007 to be close to his two oldest sons and grandchildren. For his 50th college reunion, he wrote that his grandkids were his “great joys” and, with his typically playful sense of humor, claimed that they were manifestly of “Presidential timber” despite their tender ages. His unmistakable delight in the stories, games, and enthusiasms of young children was an enduring aspect of his personality. Until Parkinson’s began to take its toll, Brad continued his life of service in Winston-Salem and volunteered for Samaritan Ministries, Catholic Charities, and Crisis Control Ministry. He also served on the board of the Springwell Network and supported the Enrichment Center, the Piedmont Opera, and Reynolda House.

Brad was well loved by his family, former colleagues, and friends. He will be deeply missed. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Allene (Thompson) Evans; three sons, Harold B. “Brad” Evans, III of Winston-Salem, Barrett A. Evans (Jeannie) of Winston-Salem, Rev. Dr. Darryl C. Evans (Lara) of Florence, SC; two brothers, Patrick L. Evans (Kathleen) and Charles W. Evans; four grandchildren, Sam, Karter, Will, and Addie; two nieces (Kate Evans and Karen Thayer); two nephews (Ricky Evans and Kevin McBride); and many grand- and great-grand nephews and nieces.

A Requiem Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on September 16, 2026, at the Holy Family Catholic Church chapel, 4820 Kinnamon Road Winston-Salem, NC 27103. Burial and a reception on church grounds will follow the Mass.

Brad’s family members would like to express their profound gratitude for the amazing professionalism, diligence, and kindness of the Arbor Acres staff, especially during his final months and days. (To put it in terms you will surely understand, we appreciate you as much as Brad did his twice-daily servings of chocolate ice cream while in your care!)

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 5757 Waterford District Drive, Ste 310, Miami, FL 33126; The Enrichment Center, 1006 S. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101; or Springwell Network, 3820 N Patterson Ave, Winston Salem, NC 27105.