Sunny Evans
Sunny was born March 29, 1929, to Clyde and Loraine Hogan in Vilonia, Ark. She passed away peacefully with her children by her side on October 13, 2023. She is preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Aileen, Pat and Freda; her first husband, Wilton Steed; and her second husband, Bob Evans. She is survived by her children, Bill Steed (Karen) and Suzanne Steed; her grandchildren, Scott Steed and Sara Steed Koger (Mike); and four great-grandsons: Jack Steed; Davis, Charlie, and Max Koger, all of Little Rock. She graduated Vilonia High School at age 16, University of Central Arkansas at age 19, and started a teaching career in Durham, N.C., while her husband, Wilton Steed, attended Duke Law School. She continued her teaching career in Pine Bluff, teaching Science and Home Economics. After Wilton’s death, she met and married Bob Evans and moved to Hot Springs in 2002. Sunny loved to be surrounded by music, especially jazz, often singing harmony, and sometimes playing her guitar. She played and sang in several musical groups in Pine Bluff for many years - The Untuned, The ‘Ole Folks at Home and the Trinity Terrors - often Sing-Alongs at retirement centers. She was on the Pine Bluff Symphony Board, The Hot Springs Music Festival Board, was active in the Hot Springs Jazz Society, and was crowned Queen of the 2018 Jazz Society Mardi Gras Ball. She was also on the Garvan Woodlands Gardens Advisory Board, a member of the Hot Springs Giving Circle, a member of the Women’s Leadership Council, the Ladies of The Lake Book Club, the Symphony Guild, and a past member of the Hot Springs Area Community Foundation, Fifty for the Future, Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (ASMSA) and the University of Arkansas Advisory Board. She was a gourmet cook and loved entertaining in her home. She, along with a friend, operated the Sunshine Catering Service, for a few years in Pine Bluff. She loved being in an investment club and studying the stock market and investments.
She wrote a long, extensive investment letter every month for 10 years, which she shared with other investment clubs and anyone else interested.
She loved to travel and always wrote a long interesting journal of her trips. Her favorite European country was Italy, but she said the trip to Thailand and Korea was the most memorable. She was an avid bridge player with several games going every week. In fact, she loved all kinds of games, including ping-pong, and often played with family and friends. She was a longtime tennis player and was on a 4.0 Pine Bluff team that twice won the state championship. She followed all kinds of sports, especially her beloved Razorbacks. She said she was a country girl, always loving walking in the woods and hiking. For over 25 years, she and a group, the Hiking Grannies, had wonderful treks in the mountains in Arkansas, and often ended with a float on the Buffalo River. One of their favorite hikes was Cedar Falls trail at Petit Jean. She and her late husband, Bob, were philanthropists who provided generous support to many civic and charitable organizations. They were inducted into the University of Arkansas Chancellor’s Society, Towers of Old Main and were named honorary lifetime alumni members in recognition of their support of University Scholarships and Garvan Woodland Gardens. Their contributions to their beloved Gardens include the Evans’ Grooms Quarters, the Evans Celebration Gardens, and the Evans Children’s Adventure Garden with the Tree Houses, which she dedicated to her four great-grandsons, Jack, Davis, Charlie, and Max. She was a lifelong Democrat. She was not one to argue politics but according to her daughter, Suzanne, if you made the mistake of asking her about her views, you heard about it for 30 minutes.
She was a very loving person and the most important things in her life were her family and her friends; she always said she loved everyone. She had a lot of energy and was called the organizer, often getting a group together to attend an event, which usually involved music. To her family, she was Mimi, and going frequently to Mimi’s lake house meant lots of good food, fun, and games. She attended St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and based her life around her Christian faith by her love, sharing and caring for her fellow man. Her positive attitude was reflected in her ever-present smile. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Sunny’s Celebration of Life will be Wednesday, October 18, at 1 p.m. at the Anthony Chapel at Garvan Gardens, with a reception following. Memorials may be made to Garvan Gardens or to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Hot Springs. Online Condolences at: www.caruthhale.com.