RICHARD “DICK” ELLSWORTH EVANS

1933-2021

With tenacity, courage and dignity, Richard “Dick” Ellsworth Evans entered heaven on Tuesday, the 14th of December 2021 at his Houston home, supported by his wife of thirty-nine years, Gloria Portela and his sons, Curt and Carter Evans.

Dick was a man of wide ranging interests. He was passionate about chemical engineering, mentoring, classical music, opera, ship model building, education and literacy, exploration and nautical history, cartography and books, storytelling and most of all his grandchildren. He gave generously of his time and resources to the organizations that promoted these passions so that future generations could enjoy and experience them as he had. Travel with Dick was a great adventure, not for him the usual destinations. His nautical interest drew him and Gloria to Pitcairn Island, the Straits of Magellan, Gibraltar, Easter Island the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.

In his last weeks, he enjoyed many of the things that brought him joy — the company of his beloved grandchildren, short visits from a diverse group of friends; opera, including a special recital in his home by three young artists from the Houston Opera Studio; and a video from faculty and students of the engineering school at the University of

St. Thomas. Good food was part of his last indulgences, including the chocolate he cleverly incorporated into his medical regimen.

Dick was born in Chicago, Illinois on the 18th of September 1933 to Harry and Rose “Von Arx” Evans. He graduated from Thornton Township High School in 1951, where he excelled in track and football. He continued playing football and running track at Princeton University, graduating in

1955 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and went to work for Standard Oil of Indiana (later Amoco) in Chicago, Illinois.

He remained with Amoco his entire professional career, with the exception of a three year stint at the Davison Chemicals division of W.R. Grace & Company and a 6 month tour in the Army that ended with President Eisenhower calling all engineers back to the civilian workforce.

Dick had a renowned career as a petroleum executive, with special expertise and interest in process safety. His industry leadership culminated in serving as chairman of the General committee of refining of the American Petroleum Institute from 1992 to 1994; and as vice president of the National Petroleum Refiners Association from 1990 to 1994. In his last position at Amoco as Vice President of Refining and Engineering, he led one of the largest refining systems in the US at that time. He was also active in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society. Dick was proud of being executive sponsor of Amoco Oil’s Diversity Advisory Council and serving on the Amoco Foundation Board of Directors.

A deeply patriotic and generous man, and a believer in giving back to his community, he served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Junior Achievement of Chicago; Boy Scouts of America, Chicago Area Council; and the Boys Club of Independence, Missouri. He served on the Advisory Board of the College of Engineering of the University of Illinois and the Advisory Board of the School of Chemical Engineering of Princeton University. Most recently. Dick served on the Board of Trustees of Houston Grand Opera and the Advisory Board of the Cameron Business School of the University of St. Thomas, and enthusiastically supported the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, Star of Hope, Combined Arms and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

He first developed his love for sailing in Chicago, on the frigid waters of Lake Michigan, where he competed in sailboat races on a regular basis. His first boat was a used yawl which he bought with a group of friends, and they called it the “Y’all come.” He continued sailing on Clear Lake and in Galveston Bay. In addition to his love of sailing, Dick had an interest in and appreciation for opera. He and Gloria have been long time family members of the Houston Grand Opera, and particularly the HGO Opera Studio, which provides encouragement and opportunity for new opera voices. For example, he and Gloria created the Evans Family Endowed Fund at Houston Grand Opera in memory of Marjorie Evans, the beloved mother of Dick’s sons, to support young, developing opera singers, hosting many of them in their own home and nurturing friendships with those singers that have endured for many years.

He was a meticulous engineer and craftsman. He built detailed model ships, repaired the family’s broken items and jewelry, and was never satisfied with any

standard less than absolutely perfect. In his retirement,

he was a tireless reader and collector of books. As recently as four months ago, he was constructing a model of the Cutty Sark. As his nephew Eric noted “Uncle Dick exceeded every expectation.”

Dick is preceded in death by his parents, Harry and

Rose Evans; his sister Joan Czubek and her husband, Frank, and his first wife, Marjorie. He is survived by his wife, Gloria Portela, and his sons, Curt Evans and wife, Debbie, of Dripping Springs, Texas, and Carter Evans and wife Sandra, of Sugar Land, Texas, in addition to seven grandchildren: Logan, Luke, Anna, Emma Kate, Charlotte, Eva Louise and Chase, and his nieces, Leslie Kohn and Sharon Pence; his mother in law, Gloria T. Portela; sisters in law, Maria Elena Portela and Cristina Portela Solomon; brothers in law, Steve Schueler and Larry Rubly; nephews, James Rubly and Eric Solomon; and Evans, Melaven and Portela relatives.

He was a man of brevity and intellectual clarity who taught us how to accept death with grace and a certain measure of spirituality and understanding. He loved all things Christmas, and in his spirit, the family will carry on his favorite traditions to honor the many wonderful holiday seasons they shared together.

Dick’s family expresses its thanks to his physicians: Martha Mims, Gustavo Rivero and Paige Farinholdt of Baylor St. Luke’s Dan Duncan Cancer Center; the extraordinary nurses and staff at Kirby Glen, especially Bridget Crawford and Doctors Mike Wilson, Pinky Tiwari, Kelty Baker and Samuel Sutton at Methodist and Mahalia Smith at Memorial Hermann. He was lovingly attended by caregivers Wanda Radford, Sara Davis, Janette Frias, Vivian Robinson and Karen Foster; nurse and family friend Linda Sparks; and therapist and friend Kirk Cowardbey.

In accordance with Dick’s wishes, the family will gather for a private memorial service at a later date and will have his cremated remains scattered on the waters of Lake Michigan.

In lieu of customary remembrances, Dick would be grateful for memorial contributions to be directed to The Evans Family Fund of the Houston Grand Opera Endowment, 510 Preston St. Unit 1504, Houston, Texas 77002 or to the Dick Evans Endowed Scholarship at the University of St. Thomas, 3800 Montrose Blvd, Houston, Texas 77006.

Please visit Dick’s online memorial tribute at GeoHLewis.com where memories and words of comfort and condolence may be shared electronically with his family.

“We shall not see his like again.”