John Arthur Evans Sr. Obituary

MR. JOHN A. EVANS SR. WAS BORN ON JUNE 13, 1936 TO THE UNION OF OLMSTEAD AND MARGARET EVANS. HE ATTENDED CLEVELAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNTIL HE ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AS A TEEN-AGER BEGINNING HIS LIFELONG MILITARY CAREER. SHORTLY AFTER ENLISTING, HE MARRIED HIS CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART; DOROTHY MAE STRAWDER AND FROM THEIR UNION FIVE CHILDREN WERE BORN; THREE SONS AND TWO DAUGHTERS. JOHN COMPLETED HIS ENLISTMENT TIME IN THE AIR FORCE AND THEN JOINED THE U.S. ARMY IN 1953. WHILE IN THE ARMY, HE MET AND MARRIED HIS SECOND WIFE; TENCY ME LETT AND IMMEDIATELY ADOPTED HER SON DUANE. HE JOINED THE EVANS FAMILY AS IF HE HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE.

JOHN CONTINUED HIS TIME IN THE ARMY FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS. DURING THAT TIME, HE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD. SOMETIMES HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE HIS FAMILY ALONG BUT SOMETIMES HE HAD TO TRAVEL ALONE. HE WENT TO THE KOREAN WAR, THE VIETNAM WAR, AFRICA, AND GERMANY JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THE PLACES HIS CAREER TOOK HIM TO. HE WORKED ON PLANE ENGINES AND WAS PART OF THE CREW THAT INVENTED THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL EJECTION SEAT FOR AN AIRCRAFT. HE RETIRED FROM THE ARMY IN 1974 AND BEGAN A NEW CAREER WITH THE FAA. WHILE WORKING ON BOILERS WITH FAA, HE TRAVELED TO ST. CROIX, VIRGIN ISLANDS, AND CHICAGO BEFORE RETURNING TO AKRON, OHIO, AND FINALLY BACK HOME TO CLEVELAND. HE THEN RETIRED FROM THE FAA AND DECIDED HE WOULD MAKE THE BEST OF HIS RETIREMENT BY HELPING VETERANS IN ANY WAY THAT HE COULD.

HE BEGAN HIS VOLUNTEER SERVICE AT VA HOSPITAL IN CLEVELAND AND LOGGED IN OVER 17, 500 HOURS EARNING HIM A PLACE IN THE VETERAN'S HALL OF FAME AND VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR FOR OHIO. JOHN WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN OBTAINING TRANSPORTATION FOR THE DISABLED VETS AND IN CREATING THE FISHER HOUSE; A PLACE FOR OUT OF TOWN GUEST TO STAY FREE OF CHARGE WHILE VISITING THEIR BELOVED VETS WHILE THEY ARE HOSPITALZED IN THE VA HOSPITAL. HE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT PROGRAM IN ACTION WHEN SOME OF HIS FAMILY FROM OUT OF TOWN UTILIZED THE HOSPITALITY WHILE HE WAS A PATIENT AT VA HOSPITAL.

JOHN WENT HOME TO GLORY ON NOVEMBER 12, 2023, BEING PREDECEASED BY HIS MOTHER, FATHER, BROTHER, UNCLES, AND AUNTS AND TWO GRANDSONS. HE LEAVES BEHIND HIS CHILDREN; JAMIL A. HAMEED (KAREN), DIANE EVANS, JOHN A. EVANS JR., DUANE B. EVANS SR. (DECEASED) RICKY D. EVANS SR. (DIANA) AND DENISE D. EVANS-LANE (VICTOR), 30 GRANDCHILDREN, 32 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, 2 GREAT-GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS AND A HOST OF FRIENDS.

JOHN LEFT GOOD MEMORIES EVERYWHERE HE WENT WITH A BEAUTIFUL SENSE OF HUMOR AND GENTLE CARING WAY THAT HE HAD WITH MOST EVERYONE THAT HE CROSSED PATHS WITH. HIS FAVORITE MOTTO THAT HE SHARED WITH HIS CHILDREN WAS ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!! JOHN ALSO LEFT A LEGACY WITH ALL OF HIS DESCENDENTS! HE WOULD GATHER THEM TOGETHER, AND ASK THEM, "WHO'S THE GREATEST"? THEY WOULD REPLY, "DADDY COOL"! "WHO"?!! "DADDY COOL"!!! "AND WHO'S YOUR DADDY COOL"?!! "YOU"!!! HE PASSED THIS DOWN THROUGH HIS CHILDREN, TO HIS GRAND CHILDREN, HIS GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, AND EVEN HIS GREAT, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. HIS GREATNESS WENT FAR BEYOND BEING COOL AS A DADDY!