Deceased January 20, 2001
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In Memory
Of course you remember Frank Evans. At first meeting, he seemed reserved and almost austere. But as you soon learned, hiding behind that cool façade was a warm heart and a lively wit.
Frank came to us as one of the Philadelphia delegation, a graduate of the well-known Penn Charter School there. He was promptly snared by DU. Post-graduation, he went to Princeton to earn his master's and doctoral degrees. He wanted to be a teacher and fortunately found a place as a teaching assistant at Tulane, where he stayed for five years.
Then came the usual interruption for those in our class—the War. He joined the Naval Reserve, went through training and got his assignment: executive officer of a motor mine sweeper on the West Coast. A cushy job, no? No. He was soon transferred to the action areas, such as Tinian and Saipan.
Returning safely, Frank switched to William and Mary, where he spent the rest of his teaching life. His subject was English, his specialty the English Renaissance period. He also got deeply involved with the college itself, serving, at one time or another, as chair of the division of the humanities, director of graduate study, secretary of the faculty and on numerous faculty committees. He was instrumental in establishing an honors program at the college. He planned the master of arts program in English and directed it for seven years. The nine years preceding his retirement in 1977, he served as chief marshall of the faculty.
Frank had other interests as well. One was sailing. He was an expert helmsman, and often built his own boats, which he sailed on Chesapeake Bay. Woodworking was one of his joys, so much so that in the construction of his house in Williamsburg, he did almost all the interior woodwork himself.
Frank seldom forgot a friend. Case in point: How many people do you know who married a classmate from kindergarten? Frank did. He married Margaret Noore 29 years later! They were to have a boy and a girl.
Two younger brothers followed Frank in attending Amherst; it is an Amherst family. The whole family has our sincere sympathy.
Our class, too, has suffered a significant loss.
John D. Leinbach '35