Obituary

David Wayne Evans, 55, was born in Hobbs, New Mexico and passed away on March 26, 2014. David, “Dave”, enjoyed life in a number of west coast cities including Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo, Redlands, Newport Beach, and Aliso Viejo. He also was fortunate to have spent 4 years in Nigeria with his family as a child and travelled throughout Europe during the summers. David also enjoyed living for a few years on his sailboat in Newport Harbor and most recently in Aliso Viejo with his fiancée Linda.

David’s life was filled with a rich range of experiences and his compassion, kindness, gentle heartedness, and respect for others touched many lives. He was a beautiful singer and played music from an early age. Dave sang in the group Men in Blaque for a number of years participating in competitions in Korea and China. He was an avid cyclist and participated in century bike rides. He also enjoyed photography, sailing and kayaking and loved to watch sunsets on the water. Dave was a wonderful cook and eagerly prepared delicious meals for friends and family. He treasured traditional family recipes and introduced many friends to his delicious family cream cake. He was also a skilled carpenter who had that special skill of being able to fix anything and create beautiful wooden pieces from scratch.

Dave spent time in the restaurant business, the trade show industry, and also enjoyed working at Recreation Equipment Inc. He had recently won the Golden Ice Axe Award at REI, nominated by all of his coworkers for his willingness and eagerness to help others. Customers continually remarked at how much time and energy he spent ensuring that they got just the right thing for their outdoor adventure.

David had a strong love for the outdoors and enjoyed hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, and mountaineering. He was the Chairman for the Sierra Club’s Wilderness Travel Course (Orange County Group) where he served 6 years as an instructor teaching students skills to confidently participate in cross county wilderness outings, rock scrambling, snowshoeing, snow camping, and navigation. Students remember him as calm, patient, supportive, and knowledgeable in his approach to teaching.

Dave will be missed so very much, and the warmth and kindness he shared will be remembered forever. His memory will be carried on in the hearts of his many friends and loved ones. He is survived by his mother Ruth, sisters Carol and Donna, brother-in-law Ken, fiancée Linda, several nephews, and a niece. A celebration of his life will be held at Mount of Olives Lutheran Church in Mission Viejo on April 5th at 10am. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Nature Conservancy in David’s honor.