ATHENS- Kathleen May Evans (nee Briggs) age 93, died November 27, 2024, at her home in Athens, Ohio. Kathleen was born in Northern Manitoba, Canada at a lumber camp owned by her parents Naomi and Jack Briggs.
She started her education in a one-room schoolhouse, built by her Father, at Briggs Spur, Manitoba. Later, when her family moved to Fort Francis, Ontario, she attended grade school and graduated from high school there.
Kathleen graduated from The Saint Boniface School of Nursing, Sisters of Mercy, at Saint Boniface, Manitoba. After graduation she worked in a remote Red Cross outpost hospital in Emo, Ontario. In 1952 she moved to the United States to live with her sister Jean Briggs Cleland in Mount Vernon, Ohio. There she met her husband Max Evans, then a school principal, and they were married June 4, 1955. That year Kathleen became a naturalized United States citizen.
In 1958 they moved to Columbus where Max studied for a PhD at The Ohio State University. Kathleen worked at the old White Cross Hospital, now Riverside Hospital, in the psychiatric department.
In addition to her parents, Kathleen was preceeded in death by her husband Max of 69 years who passed away on November 26, 2024. She is survived by her children Eric Evans (Sherry), Maureen Coon (Larry), and John “Andy” Evans (Martha); grandchildren Amber Quintanilla (Nelson), Tiffany Evans, and Karla Karwoski (Matt), Em Evans, Noah Evans, and great-grandchildren James and Eli Quintanilla and Kennedy and Aurora Karwoski.
In 1968 the family moved to Kano, Nigeria, where Max served as Chief of Party for an Ohio University-USAID education project. There, Kathleen served as the United States Consulate Nurse.
Upon their return to Athens, Ohio, Kathleen worked at Planned Parenthood of Southeast Ohio and under their auspices returned to school at the age of 45 to qualify as a nurse practitioner in gynecology.
In 1984 Kathleen accompanied Max to Gaborone, Botswana, where Max directed an Ohio University-USAID primary education project and Kathleen was the nurse in charge of the United States Embassy health unit. Upon her departure from Botswana in 1990, the Ambassador, in recognition of her service, presented her with the U.S. State Department Meritorious Honor Award
Kathleen loved traveling, visiting 32 countries, all 50 states and the nine Canadian provinces. She enjoyed many interests and hobbies, none of which, she says, she particularly excelled. She was prodigious reader of detective fiction, a consumer of classical music, (she had dropped piano lessons at age 12, but resumed them at 80). Kathleen also liked to socialize, especially having coffee with the girls. In her youth, Kathleen was goalie on her ice hockey team and the skip (captain) of her curling team. Being a “hockey mom” to two sons playing for the Athens High School team was a natural. She was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church of Athens, the PEO Sisterhood, Chapter DD, the Athens Reading Club, The Athens Village, and the League of Women Voters.
Arrangements, including cremation, are with the Jagers and Sons Funeral Home. Services will be private. Her ashes will be scattered at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, Ontario, which was a favorite picnic spot. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Ohio.
The family would like to thank Dina’s Compassion Care and OhioHealth Hospice for their services.
Hers was a long and well-lived life with not a moment wasted. Please remember her fondly.
Please share a memory, a note of condolence or sign the online register at www.jagersfuneralhome.com.
