For Bernie Evans, dreams become reality in glass
CHILLICOTHE — Sometimes good things happen during tough times – unexpectedly.
“I was a typical kid,” began Bernie Evans, “running around outside, climbing trees, playing tag, hide ‘n seek, and all the other games kids played in my day! I had aspirations of being an astronaut, firefighter or motorcycle racer. The thought never crossed my mind of ever working in stained glass!”
Today, Evans owns and operates Bernie & Max Stained Glass Studio.
“The Bernie & Max motto has always been, ‘Where dreams become reality in glass!’” he noted. “I never stop learning what can, and can’t, be done with glass!”
Evans grew up in Chillicothe, first above his dad’s typewriter shop (Evans Office Equipment) at 190 East Main St., then on Clay Street where he spent the rest of his childhood. He graduated from Chillicothe High School in 1976.
“As a kid growing up,” he recalled, “I spent a lot of time at my dad’s typewriter shop doing menial tasks such as restocking office supplies and cleaning the shop. I would also get old typewriters and adding machines out of the basement, tear them apart, clean them and put them back together. I would then put them on the sales floor and if/ when they sold my dad would let me keep the money. And that’s how I was able to buy my first bicycle, a Schwinn Stingray with a gear shifter! I worked at dad’s shop until 1973 when he closed the shop.”
“In 1980,” he added, “I got hired at the papermill and figured that was going to be my life. But in the late 80s or early 90s they started an emergency response team, and I became a charter member. In 2005 I went in for my physical and the doctor said he heard a ‘hiccup’ in my heart. He sent me to a cardiologist, and he told me I needed a pacemaker/defibrillator. After getting my pacer/defib implanted I was off work for 2-and-a-half years until the pacer/ defib and medications got my EF back to a normalish range.”
“Since I couldn’t do any of the things I was passionate about for those years,” he continued, “I took up stained glass as a hobby to keep me from going crazy! Those years gave me the opportunity to read, research, watch videos and practice my newfound hobby. After many mistakes, I became proficient and somewhat good at the craft.”
In 2007 Evans decided to start doing stained glass for a living. He built an addition onto the garage at his house and opened Bernie & Max Stained Glass Studio. He operated there about 2 years, then moved to downtown Chillicothe.
The Max in the name Bernie and Max, by the way, came from Evan’s pacemaker/defibrillator.
“Since my pacer/defib literally saved my life,” he explained, “I thought it was going to be my partner for life! So Bernie and Max was born! Max being my pacer/ defib since it was a Medtronic Maximo!”
Pam Hatton is a former student and now volunteer at Bernie and Max.
“I met Bernie as a student and I’m still learning from him 12 years later,” said Hatton. “He’s multi-skilled – glass, woodworking, mechanical, etc. And he’s a great problem solver. I’ve never made a mistake he was unable to fix and, trust me, I’ve challenged him. I’m proud to say I learned the craft from him.”
“Although I’m 65 years old,” Evans responded, “I’ll continue to learn new things about stained glass, about life and the pursuit of happiness through experience, family, friends and coworkers. Without them Bernie & Max would not be what it is today! My coworkers mean the world to me, and I hope we have many years together creating in glass!”
Bernie & Max Stained Glass Studio LLC is located at 65 North Paint Street in Chillicothe. For more information, call 740-775-1054 or log on bernieandmaxstainedglass.com.