Robert H. Evans

ROBERT HENRY (BOB) EVANS, age 97, formerly of Edgewood, MD, passed peacefully on April 24, 2007, at Citizens Care Center, Havre de Grace, MD. He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Clay Evans, mother, Mary Adele McCaughin Evans, and sister, Helen Evans Beaulieu. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Margaret Thetis Evans, also a resident of Citizen’s Care Center, Havre de Grace, MD; two sons, Robert W. Evans (Linda) of Jarrettsville, MD, and John B. Evans (Faye) of Houston, DE; two daughters, M. Suzanne Colopoulos (William) of Chanhassen, MN, and JoAnn E. Plaine (John) of Bel Air, MD; grandchildren, Jennifer Plaine Endsley (Keith) of Abingdon, MD, W. Bradford Everett of Chanhassen, MN, Robert W. Evans, Jr. of Jarrettsville, MD, Bryan G. Everett (Jaclyn) of Chanhassen, MN, Maurice “Buddy” Haynes of Houston, DE, Staci L. Evans of Houston, DE, David E. Plaine of Bel Air, MD, John S. Plaine of Bel Air, MD, and John B. Evans, Jr. of Houston, DE; and great-grandson, Garrett J. Endsley of Abingdon, MD.

Bob was born in Brooklyn, but spent most of his youth in Ticonderoga, a tiny but historically significant town in upstate New York, where he grew up working on the family farm. Always a fan of music and dance, he performed in Vaudeville-style shows in his early adulthood. The war effort brought him to Baltimore in the early 1940’s, where he worked in aircraft mechanics and later on research and development projects related to the Gemini space program for the Glenn L. Martin Company, currently Lockheed Martin. In 1946, he married a Ticonderoga hometown girl, Thetis Barry, moved her south to Baltimore and then to Harford County where they raised their family. Bob was an active member of St. Stephen Catholic Church in Bradshaw and later at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Edgewood. He was also a 4th Degree Member of the Corpus Christi Council of the Knights of Columbus.

Bob had many favorite ways to spend his spare time. He built and flew model airplanes, enjoyed gardening and was talented at woodworking and refinishing antique furniture. In addition to any of his other activities, however, Bob was certainly most widely known as the first “real” Santa Claus at the Harford Mall in Bel Air. Having long sported a full white beard, Bob was approached by a mall agent in 1983, to see if he would be interested in appearing as Santa. He spent the next twelve Christmas seasons entertaining thousands of children and adults alike. His youngest visitor was a mere 3 days old and on his way home from the hospital. The oldest was a 90-year-old woman who had never sat on Santa’s lap. He was also invited to appear as Santa for many organizations and private functions throughout the years.

In June 1999, at the age of 90 years young, Bob was honored by the Harford County Council, when he was declared a “Harford County Living Treasure”. He had been nominated for this award by fellow members of his Knights of Columbus Council to recognize his many charitable acts in the community during his 47 years as a county resident.

In lieu of flowers, contributions are welcomed to the Knights of Columbus, Corpus Christi Council #6188, P.O. Box 187, Joppa, MD 21085.