W. Frank Evans (Alpha) 1933-2012

W. Frank Evans was born Oct. 9, 1933, into a newspaper publishing family that devoted their lives to helping small Oklahoma towns grow and prosper. His parents, Lloyd William and Sara Allen Evans, taught their five children the value of loyalty to their community. Frank was and example of that loyalty, improving the communities in which he lived. A graduate of Fairfax High School and Oklahoma State University, his music education degree prepared him to serve as a public school band director in Perkins, Garber and Fairfax from the mid-1950’s to the early-1960’s. During that time he served in the 45th Division of the Oklahoma National Guard and was a member of the guard’s field band. As a college student he played in the OSU marching and symphonic bands and in the original Stillwater Community Band, organized and directed by the late Hiram Henry. Settling in Stillwater in 1963 he owned and operated Evans Music Co. before becoming the first facilities manager of the OSU Seretean Center. In the mid-1970’s he was Assistant Physical Plant Manager for Principia College, Elsah, Illinois, and returned to Stillwater in the late 1970’s as Executive Secretary for Kappa Kappa Psi/ Tau Beta Sigma, national music fraternities headquartered on the OSU campus. He retired in 1995 as coordinator of extension conferences for OSU’s Division of Agriculture. A community volunteer and civic supporter, he served on the boards of Stillwater Arts and Humanities Council, Sheerar Museum Association, Stillwater Parks and Recreation, and was instrumental in helping to convert the former Stillwater High School building into the Stillwater Community Center. One of his passions was to help save historical buildings and landmarks for present-day use. He supported the Stillwater Community Band, Stillwater Community Singers, Stillwater Multi-Arts and OSU’s Friends of Music. A member of the Sooner State chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society, he loved pipe organ music. He was a long-standing member of the Stillwater Christian Science Church where he served as First Reader, chairman of the Executive Board, and as a Sunday school teacher. He was a Life member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and the OSU Alumni Association. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Vonda Bivert Evans and daughter, Julie Evans of Tulsa and a brother, William Evans and his wife, Madge of Tucson, Ariz. He was predeceased by his parents; two sisters, Martha Pat Evans Brown and Nancy Evans Brumfield; and a brother, Robert L. Evans. The family suggests memorials to the Stillwater Community Band, c/o Wayne Bovenschen, PO Box 104, Stillwater, OK 74076 or to the Stillwater Community Singers, c/o Judy Brown, 316 S. Doty, Stillwater, OK 74074. A private family memorial service will be held to honor his life that closed on March 1, 2012.