A celebration of life for Greggory Evans — his goodness, his generosity, his warmth and his spirit — will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Mossyrock Community Hall.
Greggory Evans, born Nov. 17, 1960, passed away unexpectedly after a sudden illness on May 11, 2024, leaving his family and friends with huge holes in their hearts and lives.
Gregg was the sixth of seven children, beginning his childhood on Millman Road in Ajlune before the family was forced out by the Mossyrock Dam. The family moved to Central Park, near Aberdeen, Washington, in 1964, where Gregg grew up before moving back to Mossyrock, Washington, as an adult.
Gregg worked for private contractors in building construction and was a member of the laborers union, working on the Taidnapam Dam and multiple highways across the state. He was especially talented in concrete work, particularly of an artistic nature. Gregg’s wide experience, intelligence and personal talent with troublesome projects was notable. He often knew how to solve issues efficiently that others would hesitate to attempt. His father was very proud of Gregg’s broad range of abilities and spoke of them often, also consulting Gregg on projects or asking for his assistance.
Gregg was tough as nails in spite of his inner gentleness. He was a hard worker and formidable when it came to getting something done even without the advantages of the necessary tools or equipment. Gregg was a brilliant jack-of-all-trades, always with professional results. He was heavily involved in working on the construction of the Chinook Highway and rockery. The surveyors on the job noted Gregg’s observational talents and would frequently ask him to “eyeball” the angles of the highway to assist them in determining serious concerns.
Gregg was a family man. He loved his family and showed it. He was always excited about visiting his 3-year-old grandson who lived nearby, and was overjoyed about his newest 6-month-old granddaughter, of which both young grandchildren already adored their grandfather. Gregg also loved to spend time with his other five grandchildren whenever he had the chance. He had an innate ability to give small gifts to people that always ended up meaning the most, especially to his mother.
Gregg made wherever he was feel like home. If he was there, it was home. The name Gregg means “watchful and vigilant,” and those he loved felt secure and safe in his presence. Their lives will be exceptionally empty without him. Gregg was one of those kind people that walk among us, always friendly, forgiving and happy. The little things in life made him happy. Just seeing people he knew made him happy. The world was a harsh place for his gentle soul at times, but his sensitive and caring nature afforded full forgiveness.
Gregg was a big deal. He never spoke ill of anyone and was a peacemaker. Both family and friends would go to Gregg for advice because of his ability to listen, relate and support them in their life issues with full confidentiality. Gregg had a large heart and carried a lot of wisdom, which he readily shared when asked. He lived life successfully in all the things that mattered with a solid character that never changed. Gregg was a lover of people and would literally do anything for anyone, no matter how difficult it was. Gregg also had the ability to make people laugh and was ready to have a good time on any occasion. If someone was upset about something, he had ways to make them feel better. He knew people and he was always good company.
A week before he passed, Gregg turned a mundane shopping trip into an adventure by insisting on flying kites with his wife out behind Walmart, and he always looked forward to a simple swirl ice cream cone at Dairy Dan’s on the way home. Simple things became memorable events. It was always a celebration with the person he was with, whatever they were doing.
Gregg loved music and had the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty or other tunes playing, whether he was working on a project or dancing around the room. He never missed an available concert if he could help it and Pandora was his favorite app. Gregg enjoyed playing the slots and put focused passion into every play, often turning a small pot into a significant win. Gregg loved life and appreciated each moment, whether it was hiking, sitting near a fire, eating a meal, watching a video, traveling, enjoying the beach, building something or just sitting and visiting.
His artistic nature demonstrated full appreciation for the beauty of our world, finding joy in the simple act of collecting unusual pieces of wood, shells or rocks. He also found creatively clever ways to display them and saw charm in them all, as though each piece were the best.
Gregg was preceded in death by his father, William Bud Evans; his brother, Tim Evans; and his grandparents, Ernest Evans, Gertrude Smith Evans McMahan, Jim McMahan, Howard Kersch and Viola Kersch.
Gregg is survived by his wife, Leah Evans; his mother, Anita Kersch Evans Hudson; his children, Glenda Evans, Shannon Anderson and Willy Evans; his grandchildren, Thomas Williams, Zion Wright, Eli Wright, Malakai Wright, Genesee Wright, Elliott Anderson and Aurora Evans; and siblings, Anni Evans, Brian Evans, Brad Evans, Cindy Gibbons and Dave Evans.
Gregg’s legacy was his ability to embrace the beauty of life with sincere love and acceptance for all with a complete absence of pride or arrogance. He will be greatly missed. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”
