Maxwell Evans Obituary
07/12/1944 - 03/18/2025
Frederick Maxwell Evans (a.k.a. F. Maxwell Evans or just plain Max) entered peacefully into eternal life with Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior, on March 18, 2025 after a courageous 10-month battle with Glioblastoma. Max was born in Pontiac, Michigan on July 12, 1944 and named Frederick Maxwell Walker, Jr. He and his mother, Dorothy Jane Biggers (Walker) Evans, lived with his maternal grandparents, William and Josephine Biggers, in Pontiac until 1953
when Max's mother was remarried to Thomas H. Evans, Jr. They moved to Athens, Ohio where Max received a new last name. Max enjoyed life growing up in Athens and made many new friends there. He was very active in school and sports activities and graduated from Athens high school in 1962. Max then moved on to the next phase of his life at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At Harvard, Max excelled in extra-curricular activities where he was a member of the Hasty Pudding and Pi Eta Clubs, and played junior varsity baseball and varsity football. His senior year, Max was awarded the William Payne LaCroix trophy for the enthusiasm, sportsmanship, loyalty and team spirit that he exhibited in football.
Max graduated from Harvard in 1966 and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. He attended Officer's Candidate School in Yorktown, Virginia and was commissioned as an Ensign in January 1967. His first duty assignment was operations officer aboard the USCGC Iris in Galveston, Texas. While stationed in Galveston, Max met a cute little nursing student named Andrea (Andy) Shupee who he would eventually marry. In 1968, Max volunteered for service in Viet Nam and on September 1, 1968, he reported for duty as executive officer aboard the USCGC Point Young stationed with Squadron 13 in Cat Lo, South Viet Nam. The Point Young was an 82-foot patrol boat initially charged with patrolling the coastal waters of the Mekong Delta. In early 1969, the boat was reassigned to Squadron 12 in Danang with patrol areas from the DMZ zone to Nha Trang. For his service in Viet Nam, Max was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" and the Combat Action Ribbon.
On May 6, 1969, Max and Andy were married while on his R&R in Honolulu, Hawaii and they began a lifelong adventure together. After the initial challenges of readjustment to civilian life, parenthood and law school, they both accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and they cleaved together and became one. "A chord of three strands is not easily broken" (Eccl. 4:12) and Jesus Christ was that third strand which bound their marriage together. Max and Andy were blessed with two incredible children, Josey and Matt, wonderful daughter-in-law Cimarron, and two much loved grandchildren, Audrey and Tyler.
Max and Andy were both cradle Episcopalians and it was not a coincidence that they each grew up in churches called the Church of the Good Shepherd. Max's church was in Athens, Ohio and Andy's church was in Austin, Texas. They were both active participants for many years in Episcopal church life in Houston, first at St. Mark's Episcopal (1970-1995) and then at St. John the Divine (1996-present). Max served on the vestry and as senior warden several times at St. Mark's, and one term on the vestry and as chancellor at St. John's. Max and Andy also served as prayer ministers and lay Eucharistic ministers at St. John's and were founding directors of Gospel Boxes Ministry. In his later years, Max enjoyed being a partner in the Houston Barnabas Group where he was also a member of the board.
After returning from Viet Nam and being discharged from active duty in 1969, Max attended law school at the University of Houston and graduated cum laude in December 1972. In 1973, Max accepted a position as an associate attorney at Bracewell & Patterson in Houston and became a partner there in 1979. He left Bracewell in 1991 to return to the University of Houston where he obtained an LL.M degree in Environmental Law in 1992. Shortly thereafter, Max was hired as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Sterling Chemicals, Inc., and worked there until 1997. The last portion of Max's legal career was spent practicing commercial real estate and business law for over 20 years with his friend, Bill Eggleston.
Max enjoyed a variety of sporting activities, including jogging, golf and rugby. He did not start playing rugby until he was 27 and he often said that by the time he figured out some of the nuances of the game, he was too old to execute them. Nevertheless, he was able to continue playing rugby into his old age and participated in numerous Golden Oldie Rugby Tournaments in venues around the world, including Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, France and Argentina. During his rugby career, Max played for the Houston RFC, Old Boys RFC, Old Tin Can RFC and Texas XXXs RFC. His rugby travels also fueled the desire of Max and Andy to hit the road whenever possible in their RV with a goal of visiting all of the national parks in the USA.
Max is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Andrea Temple Evans, their children Josephine Whiteside Evans and Matthew Chrisman Evans, Matt's wife Cimarron Rose Evans, and their children, Audrey Rose Evans and Tyler Chrisman Evans, and his brother Thomas Evans. He was predeceased by his mother, Dorothy Jane (Biggers) Evans and his stepfather, Thomas Hamilton Evans, Jr.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at The Church of St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, TX 77019, with The Reverend Dr. Leigh Spruill officiating. A reception will be held at Sumner Hall immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Max Evans may be made to Hospitality Apartments where Max served faithfully for over 20 years bringing Communion to the residents and their families. Hospitality Apartments' mission is to provide free temporary housing for families receiving medical treatment at the Texas Medical Center. Donations may be made by mailing a check to Hospitality Apartments, P. O. Box 25213, Houston, TX 77265-5213 or through their website at hospitalityapartments.org.
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)
Frederick Maxwell Evans (a.k.a. F. Maxwell Evans or just plain Max) entered peacefully into eternal life with Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior, on March 18, 2025 after a courageous 10-month battle with Glioblastoma. Max was born in Pontiac, Michigan on July 12, 1944 and named Frederick Maxwell Walker, Jr. He and his mother, Dorothy Jane Biggers (Walker) Evans, lived with his maternal grandparents, William and Josephine Biggers, in Pontiac until 1953
when Max's mother was remarried to Thomas H. Evans, Jr. They moved to Athens, Ohio where Max received a new last name. Max enjoyed life growing up in Athens and made many new friends there. He was very active in school and sports activities and graduated from Athens high school in 1962. Max then moved on to the next phase of his life at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At Harvard, Max excelled in extra-curricular activities where he was a member of the Hasty Pudding and Pi Eta Clubs, and played junior varsity baseball and varsity football. His senior year, Max was awarded the William Payne LaCroix trophy for the enthusiasm, sportsmanship, loyalty and team spirit that he exhibited in football.Max graduated from Harvard in 1966 and enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. He attended Officer's Candidate School in Yorktown, Virginia and was commissioned as an Ensign in January 1967. His first duty assignment was operations officer aboard the USCGC Iris in Galveston, Texas. While stationed in Galveston, Max met a cute little nursing student named Andrea (Andy) Shupee who he would eventually marry. In 1968, Max volunteered for service in Viet Nam and on September 1, 1968, he reported for duty as executive officer aboard the USCGC Point Young stationed with Squadron 13 in Cat Lo, South Viet Nam. The Point Young was an 82-foot patrol boat initially charged with patrolling the coastal waters of the Mekong Delta. In early 1969, the boat was reassigned to Squadron 12 in Danang with patrol areas from the DMZ zone to Nha Trang. For his service in Viet Nam, Max was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V" and the Combat Action Ribbon.
On May 6, 1969, Max and Andy were married while on his R&R in Honolulu, Hawaii and they began a lifelong adventure together. After the initial challenges of readjustment to civilian life, parenthood and law school, they both accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and they cleaved together and became one. "A chord of three strands is not easily broken" (Eccl. 4:12) and Jesus Christ was that third strand which bound their marriage together. Max and Andy were blessed with two incredible children, Josey and Matt, wonderful daughter-in-law Cimarron, and two much loved grandchildren, Audrey and Tyler.
Max and Andy were both cradle Episcopalians and it was not a coincidence that they each grew up in churches called the Church of the Good Shepherd. Max's church was in Athens, Ohio and Andy's church was in Austin, Texas. They were both active participants for many years in Episcopal church life in Houston, first at St. Mark's Episcopal (1970-1995) and then at St. John the Divine (1996-present). Max served on the vestry and as senior warden several times at St. Mark's, and one term on the vestry and as chancellor at St. John's. Max and Andy also served as prayer ministers and lay Eucharistic ministers at St. John's and were founding directors of Gospel Boxes Ministry. In his later years, Max enjoyed being a partner in the Houston Barnabas Group where he was also a member of the board.
After returning from Viet Nam and being discharged from active duty in 1969, Max attended law school at the University of Houston and graduated cum laude in December 1972. In 1973, Max accepted a position as an associate attorney at Bracewell & Patterson in Houston and became a partner there in 1979. He left Bracewell in 1991 to return to the University of Houston where he obtained an LL.M degree in Environmental Law in 1992. Shortly thereafter, Max was hired as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Sterling Chemicals, Inc., and worked there until 1997. The last portion of Max's legal career was spent practicing commercial real estate and business law for over 20 years with his friend, Bill Eggleston.
Max enjoyed a variety of sporting activities, including jogging, golf and rugby. He did not start playing rugby until he was 27 and he often said that by the time he figured out some of the nuances of the game, he was too old to execute them. Nevertheless, he was able to continue playing rugby into his old age and participated in numerous Golden Oldie Rugby Tournaments in venues around the world, including Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, France and Argentina. During his rugby career, Max played for the Houston RFC, Old Boys RFC, Old Tin Can RFC and Texas XXXs RFC. His rugby travels also fueled the desire of Max and Andy to hit the road whenever possible in their RV with a goal of visiting all of the national parks in the USA.
Max is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Andrea Temple Evans, their children Josephine Whiteside Evans and Matthew Chrisman Evans, Matt's wife Cimarron Rose Evans, and their children, Audrey Rose Evans and Tyler Chrisman Evans, and his brother Thomas Evans. He was predeceased by his mother, Dorothy Jane (Biggers) Evans and his stepfather, Thomas Hamilton Evans, Jr.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at The Church of St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard, Houston, TX 77019, with The Reverend Dr. Leigh Spruill officiating. A reception will be held at Sumner Hall immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Max Evans may be made to Hospitality Apartments where Max served faithfully for over 20 years bringing Communion to the residents and their families. Hospitality Apartments' mission is to provide free temporary housing for families receiving medical treatment at the Texas Medical Center. Donations may be made by mailing a check to Hospitality Apartments, P. O. Box 25213, Houston, TX 77265-5213 or through their website at hospitalityapartments.org.
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)
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Published by Houston Chronicle on Mar. 23, 2025.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/houstonchronicle/name/maxwell-evans-obituary?id=57942763