NEWBURGH – Wallace M. Evans, lieutenant colonel U.S. Army, retired, died Nov. 23, 2011, at home in the loving care of his wife and eldest daughter Kathy. He was born Oct. 9, 1933, in Scranton, Pa., the son of Llewellyn J. and Marjorie Tropp (Ruth) Evans.
A graduate of Foxcroft Academy and the University of Maine, he was commissioned and entered active Army duty in 1958. He was a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War. At various times he commanded a mechanized rifle company, a cargo helicopter company and a logistical support battalion. He was an instructor pilot and instrument examiner in both airplanes and helicopters. From 1970 to 1974 he served on the faculty of the Department of Logistics, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He served at locations throughout the U.S. and in Korea, Germany, Vietnam, Turkey and Brazil. At retirement, he held the position of deputy chief of staff for logistics of the U.S. Army Combat Development Experimentation Command. From 1979 to 1983, he taught business logistics and management courses at the University of Maine, Orono, while simultaneously earning a graduate degree in counseling. He worked as a counselor in Farmington, a family therapist at St. Michael’s Center, Bangor, and in private practice until his retirement. Wally enjoyed years of working on his camps, white water canoeing, fly-fishing and cross-country skiing. He liked to build things and was nicknamed “MacGiver” by his wife for his creative problem-solving abilities. He was a longtime avid reader with a lifelong interest in maps, geography and weather. Most of all, he was the most loving soul mate to his wife, which only became more enhanced and inspiring as he dealt with the challenges of dementia, then cancer, with an attitude of mindfulness and gratitude for each day.
He is survived by his loving wife and best friend of 23 years, Elaine Piecuch of Newburgh; his children, Kathryn Clark and her husband, Rob, of Houston, Peter and his wife, Meaghan Monahan, of Portland, John and his wife, Pla, of Khonkaen City, Thailand, and Julie and her husband, Ray Keith, of Portland; his stepdaughter, Carmen Cole and her husband, John, of England, Ark.; seven grandchildren, Matthew Clark, Eli and Otis Evans, Tiger Evans, Will Keith, Angela Beller and Cliff Winchester; three great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews; and his devoted dog, Nelson and cat, Dora. He was predeceased by his parents; his former wife, Julie (Mahaney) Evans; and his brother, Michael.
A memorial service in his honor will be held 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center St., Bangor, with the Rev. Dr. Rex Garrett officiating. Interment will be at Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, Augusta. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith, 163 Center St., Bangor, after the service. Those who wish to remember Wallace in a special way may make gifts in his memory to Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256, www.WoundedWarriorProject.org or Bangor Humane Society, 693 Mount Hope Ave., Bangor, ME 04401. Condolences to the family may be expressed at
www.BrookingsSmith.com.