February 12, 1933 - March 29, 2020
Jean was raised in North Vancouver, and although her family was desperately poor, she enjoyed a childhood filled with the idyllicWest Coast whirl of skiing, golf, fishing and outdoor life. Her father died when she was just 10. She worked as a caddy at Capilano and a newspaper girl on a long route on the hills of North Van when she was barely in her teens. Although very small for her age it added income for her family and she turned it all over to her widowed mom. At 15,Mom spent a summer working in a fish cannery. For the rest of her life, she could gut and fillet a 20 lb sockeye in minutes. Totally boneless!
Mom moved to Chilliwack in 1957 after her marriage to John Evans, and the city girl with the office career became a farmwife and stay-at-home mom.
Mom had endless creativity and an artist's eye. She enjoyed painting, sewing, and culinary adventures. She loved to entertain, whether it was for family or as the food coordinator for group events. She also instilled a love of reading in all her children, and with her high school Latin and French, taught us to break downwords by origin at a young age. Last Christmas, even with memory impaired, she placed her hands on a keyboard and played a pretty mean boogie-woogie.
After Dad's death in 1996,Mom bravely bought a new car as motivation and got her driver's license at age 64. She loved chauffeuring and babysitting her grandkids. She was especially proud that with her encouragement and sometime infusions of cash, they allwent to university. She generously took her daughters on trips to Hawaii and Alaska, and hosted Christmas family gatherings at the Copper Room. She skied into her 70s and golfed into her 80s.
With roots in Canada going back to the early 1600s, Mom was the consummate Canadian. She cheered loudly through many Olympics and loved nothing better than watching her Canucks and Lions. She had harsh words for some of our nation's leaders but was always steadfast in her love of Canada.
Mom leaves behind her four children, all living "across the river" as we used to refer to Agassiz-Harrison Hot Springs-Harrison Mills in our childhood: Vivian Walker (Tom), NancyWalter (Bern), Gordon Evans (Cheryl), and Barbara Janzen (Dave). She loved her grandchildren Ryan, Craig, Luke, Ben, Kaitlyn, Megan, Evan and Siobhan, and lived for their postcards, phone calls, and visits.
Sadly, there will be no opportunity soon for a celebration of her life. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Revelstoke Museum & Archives, who work hard to celebrate her father and preserve the history of ski jumping in BC.
http://www.revelstokemuseum.ca/support-the-museum