With sadness friends and family of David Allen Evans announce his passing on March 18, 2023, at the age of 78. David was born in 1944 in Glenwood, Minnesota, where his father worked for the Northern Pacific railroad while his mother was a homemaker. David and his older brother, Stanley, and older sister, Barbara, led normal childhoods with the usual sibling rivalries. In high school David took up the saxophone and was known for his rich baritone singing voice. Upon graduation from high school in 1962, he joined the United States Air Force and after basic training at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, he attended Indiana University for nine months to study Russian. Not an easy feat. Subsequently he was sent to Monterey, California, where he was enrolled in the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. There he specialized in the Russian and Farsi languages, and after a 48-week intensive, immersive training program, he joined a military unit on the Iranian border. After leaving the military, he began working with Burroughs Industry as a production manager.
In 1970, Dr. Joyce Mason, a professor of American history at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire was in Southern California visiting a cousin. A mutual friend arranged a blind date which involved attending a play at the Ahmanson Theater. The two clicked, and a year later they married in Indianapolis, Indiana, before moving to Thousand Oaks, California.
Several years later Dave began working at Teradyne in Westlake Village as manager of the Design for Manufacturing Department. After a 45-year productive career he retired to pursue some of his passions. With a keen intellect he continued his eclectic reading habits. Among his interests were books on history, ecology, environment, Native Americans, science, biography and mysteries. Dave loved nature and developed an in-depth knowledge regarding drought resistant plants. In retirement he could be seen working tirelessly in his yard creating beautiful gardens, trails and other natural effects. He believed strongly in protecting the environment and was extremely proud when he purchased his Chevy Bolt and installed solar panels on his home.
David and Joyce did everything together from daily walks, to museum visits, to theatrical productions and to frequent classical music performances at the Hollywood Bowl, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the L.A. Opera. They made regular philanthropic contributions to museums, arts, sciences, education, cultural and political causes. Dave served for several years on the Board of Futures for Children, a mentoring program for American Indian youth. Although no children of their own, he and Joyce mentored, a young Hopi Native American of whom they were very proud.
For many years they spent their vacations on Maui where they relaxed watching amazing sunrises and sunsets. While Dave had many of life's passions his greatest was his love for Joyce, his wife of 52 years who survives him. Dave is also survived by brother, Stanley Evans (wife Carol) and sister, Barbara Evans Ward (husband Jeff).
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, www.michaeljfox.org, Friends of the Southwest Museum or the Autry Museum of the Southwest, www.theautry.org.
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