Evelyn was born in El Paso, TX to Frances and Robert Tiffany on January 4, 1954. She attended college at the University of Texas at El Paso, and then graduate school at University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She met her husband, Joe, there and they married on December 28, 1977. Evelyn obtained a Doctorate in Genetics and then completed a Postgraduate Fellowship at UCLA. She joined the Faculty of Texas A&M University College of Medicine in 1982 to study cellular toxicology. She eventually became Department Head of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, a position she held for 19 years, and later became Assistant Provost.
She was a skilled musician and played several musical instruments, including harp, accordion, and mandolin. She was named Master Harper at the Houston Scottish Highland Games. For more than 12 years she organized and led the contra dance band Jalapeno Honey. She selected, arranged and played all of the band’s extensive repertoire.
Evelyn began writing and arranging short musical pieces ten years ago and began publishing them in books for treble instruments and cello. Her musical compositions and arrangements have been performed by the Albany String Orchestra, The Austin Mandolin Orchestra and others. Recordings of performances of her compositions by other musicians have been placed online. She has enriched the lives of many with her love of music and desire to share it.
In her work as a teacher she often used music to make scientific knowledge more accessible by writing mnemonics to the tunes of popular songs. She was a compassionate and enthusiastic mentor and supervisor.
Evelyn is preceded in death by her father, Robert S. Tiffany Jr. and mother Frances J. Tiffany. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Aldo Joseph Castiglioni Jr; her daughter Anna Castiglioni and son-in-law John Mugavero, and son Peter Castiglioni; and two brothers, Robert (Katrina) Tiffany III, and John (Kerry) Tiffany.
