Ronald Evans Obituary

Mr. Evans remembered by the Ottawa High School Class of 1963
Corwin Croy:
Mr. Evans was instrumental in encouraging me to attend college. He advised me to not be afraid of going in debt to get a college education. “They may send a bill collector after you, but they cannot take away your education or your degree”. He traveled to Ada to watch Gordie and I play basketball in the JV game between Bluffton College and ONU in our freshman year. He sat with us in the stands during the varsity game and asked us about our classes. I remember he attended an Ottawa Public alumni gathering and knew every former student.

Gordie Diehl:
I remember he was a new teacher and had to go freshman initiation like we did. They gave him a washboard and a spoon to lead us in mini parade. He was good sport about in. He was a very relatable teacher.

Carolyn Dunnett:
He was my favorite teacher.

Ron was my General Science, and Geometry teacher at Ottawa High School. He was my Physics and Advanced Math teacher at Ottawa Glandorf. He coached high school baseball at Ottawa High School and Ottawa Glandorf. He came to my house in Ottawa about 5 years ago with some other Ohio Northern people to see my antique slot machine collection. We had a good time. He was a nice person and a good teacher.

He was always ‘Ronnie’ to me, because for 81 years he was still my big brother. He took me for rides on the back of his bicycle around the curved driveway, and for a short way down the highway.
Then when I started to first grade at age 5, he was there to see that I got on the right school bus, each day. He helped his dad farm, and as he milked cows by hand, he leaned his head against the cow until his cap was interwoven with cow hair and matched the cows. In high school and as a student at Ohio Northern University, he was an excellent left-handed baseball pitcher. He taught me to bat left-handed. He threw curve balls, knuckle balls, fast balls, and everything else at me until I could hit nearly everything that came across the plate. He painted a rectangle on the shed, and measured the pitching distance, so that I could practice pitching a softball. In return, when I taught three of my own children to bat, they learned to bat left-handed, too. He became an ONU math professor, but the blood of a farmer was stronger, and he continued farming, too. He had a very good Welsh tenor voice, and we four siblings began singing as a quartet when I was still in first grade. He seldom missed a Welsh Gymanfa Ganu at Gomer, where you could see him putting all the feeling and expression into the tenor part as we sang Cwm Rhonda, and we amazed ourselves at the wonderful beauty of our own sounds. He became known as the ‘voice of ONU’, because he loved sports, and he announced the ONU games for many years. Even on a ranch in Montana, I could sometimes hear his play-by-play voice on the internet, and feel at home once more.
I loved him and will miss him forever.
Karen Evans Odell

He was always ‘Ronnie’ to me, because for 81 years he was still my big brother. He took me for rides on the back of his bicycle around the curved driveway, and for a short way down the highway.
Then when I started to first grade at age 5, he was there to see that I got on the right school bus, each day. He helped his dad farm, and as he milked cows by hand, he leaned his head against the cow until his cap was interwoven with cow hair and matched the cows. In high school and as a student at Ohio Northern University, he was an excellent left-handed baseball pitcher. He taught me to bat left-handed. He threw curve balls, knuckle balls, fast balls, and everything else at me until I could hit nearly everything that came across the plate. He painted a rectangle on the shed, and measured the pitching distance, so that I could practice pitching a softball. In return, when I taught three of my own children to bat, they learned to bat left-handed, too. He became an ONU math professor, but the blood of a farmer was stronger, and he continued farming, too. He had a very good Welsh tenor voice, and we four siblings began singing as a quartet when I was still in first grade. He seldom missed a Welsh Gymanfa Ganu at Gomer, where you could see him putting all the feeling and expression into the tenor part as we sang Cwm Rhonda, and we amazed ourselves at the wonderful beauty of our own sounds. He became known as the ‘voice of ONU’, because he loved sports, and he announced the ONU games for many years. Even on a ranch in Montana, I could sometimes hear his play-by-play voice on the internet, and feel at home once more.
I loved him and will miss him forever.
Karen Evans Odell

I'm blessed to say that Ron was a friend. I miss having him at our football and basketball games. He was all about ONU Athletics and I learned so much from him. My prayers for the Evans family.

We were so happy to know Ron when we showed sheep together at the Ohio State Fair each summer! He and Patsy became great friends. My sympathy to all of his family.

Prayers for you Patsy and your family. Betty Fisher()& family.

Deepest sympathy to Patsy and the family. Ron was a delight to be around when we were showing our sheep. A great guy...

Our sincere condolences and prayers for your loss. Both sides of our family have known Rob and Patsy many years. My father knew Ron when they were both at ONU and Patsy often enjoyed lunch with my mother- in- law. And Seth has roofed for us for many summers now.

He was a good man prayers for all the family may God comfort all of you as this time

Well done, good and faithful servant. You will be missed.