Robert H Evans

Robert H. Evans, 73, of Las Cruces, NM and long-time resident of Bloomfield, NM, passed away on February 6, 2016, at La Posada hospice house in Las Cruces. Teacher, artist, rock hound, storyteller, humorist; father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and good friend to many wonderful people, he will be missed by all. Robert was the youngest of three children, born to Max Evans and Lorena Porter on September 9, 1942, in Albuquerque, NM. He graduated high school in Belen, NM, and attended Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, graduating in 1964 with a degree in education and a minor in theater arts. For more than 30 years, he taught at junior high and elementary schools throughout New Mexico and southern Colorado, the last two decades teaching fourth grade in Bloomfield, NM. He was loved by his students, who remember him fondly for his dramatic storytelling and unconventional teaching style. He loved teaching, but he equally loved his second career as a "rock artist," painting his iconic rural landscapes on slabbed rocks. Robert's skill and dedication as an artist dated back to the summer of 1970, when he participated in a workshop with renowned New Mexico artist Peter Hurd. Robert loved ghost towns and old ranches, which he captured in his unique artwork, incorporating the scene into the natural colors, grains, and features of the rock slabs. His favorite subject to paint was a two-story outhouse perched precariously on the edge of a cliff. After retiring from teaching, he moved to Las Cruces to be closer to family. He never lost his enjoyment of teaching, though, conducting clinics in schools and interacting with children while selling his artwork at the local farmers market and at gem and mineral shows. Robert was formerly married to Roberta Cartwright Georgoff, with whom he had three children. He is survived by his two sons and daughter, Russel Evans and his wife, Jennifer, of Pasadena, TX; Randal Evans, and his wife, Sharon, of Mesa, AZ; and Robin O'Sullivan and her husband, Tim O'Sullivan, of Kaneohe, HI; eight grandchildren: Aaron, Weston, and Madeline Evans; Lloyd, Tyler, and Caralyn Evans; and Conner and Kathleen O'Sullivan; his sister, Athol Miller, of Las Cruces, NM; his nieces and nephew, Sandy Hodgin Montoya, Cathy Hodgin Melcher, Kristy Hodgin Chavarria, Curtis Miller, and Kerry Miller Metevier; and many beloved grandnephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his sister Joyce Hodgin. Robert will be missed by all those whose lives he touched and made brighter with his smile, his stories, his wit, his friendship, his faith, and his love. A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 12, at 6:00 p.m. at Hill Baptist Church, 7974 Dona Ana Road, Dona Ana NM 88032. Gifts in Robert's honor may be made to Mesilla Valley Hospice, 299 Montana Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88005, or to the New Mexico Baptist Children's Home, PO Box 629, Portales, NM 88130. PDF Printable Version