Hall of Famer Dick Evans passes away
July 07, 2010
Longtime Miami Herald writer and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Dick Evans passed away Sunday, July 4 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 78.
One of the most decorated bowling writers in history, Evans was inducted into the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame in 1986 and the USBC Hall of Fame in 1992. He was the first daily newspaper writer to be honored by both halls.
"Dick Evans was larger than life," USBC President Jeff Boje said. "He was a teacher, historian and forever a visionary and promoter of change. He never shied away from taking a position but was always willing to listen and share other points of view, and if convinced, would never hesitate to change his mind. He will live on in my heart and the hearts of countless other people who shared and cherished his words of wisdom and deep devotion to friendship."
Evans, who was born on Sept. 20, 1931, joined The Miami Herald in 1949 as a copy boy and started writing about bowling in 1957. After his retirement from The Miami Herald in 1989, he moved to Daytona Beach, Fla., where he continued to write for The Miami Herald and the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
"Almost anyone who competed in professional bowling nationally or participated in local leagues in South Florida from the 1960s through the 1990s will know the name Dick Evans and will have a lingering appreciation for the attention and interest he brought to the sport," longtime Miami Herald reporter Gary Long told The Miami Herald. "I'll remember him as a good newspaperman, of course, but more as just a really good guy. If you knew him, you liked him."
Evans, the youngest of three brothers to write for The Miami Herald, first started with the paper as a delivery boy in 1943 and then went on to assist the sports staff with football scores between 1945-47. He became a full-time employee at age 17 and joined the paper's sports staff at age 20, covering various sports, including college football, high schools and tennis.
A prolific bowling writer, Evans collected more than 60 writing contest awards from various bowling publications over a span of more than 50 years. His weekly bowling stories for The Miami Herald were distributed by the Knight-Ridder chain to 144 daily newspapers with a combined daily circulation of more than 10 million papers.
In recognition for his contribution to the sport of bowling, Evans was honored by various organizations, including the Bowling Writers Association of America, the World Bowling Writers, the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America and the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America.
An avid tennis player, Evans also was recognized in 2002 as Florida's top tennis writer. He continued to write about tennis and bowling for the Daytona Beach News-Journal until his death. His bowling stories have appeared in every bowling magazine published and his features and opinion columns were published by a number of regional bowling publications.
Funeral arrangements are pending, but Evan's wife, Joan, told The Miami Herald it was her husband's wish to be cremated and have his remains scattered on The Miami Herald grounds.
"Dick loved the Herald and he loved Miami," Joan Evans told The Miami Herald. "It was his life."
Evans is survived by his wife Joan Gano Evans, son, Richard V. Evans, an attorney in Louisville, Ky., and three grandchildren - Peyton, Carter and Walker.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the University of Miami, where Evans attended on a scholarship while working full time at The Miami Herald.
One of the most decorated bowling writers in history, Evans was inducted into the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame in 1986 and the USBC Hall of Fame in 1992. He was the first daily newspaper writer to be honored by both halls.
"Dick Evans was larger than life," USBC President Jeff Boje said. "He was a teacher, historian and forever a visionary and promoter of change. He never shied away from taking a position but was always willing to listen and share other points of view, and if convinced, would never hesitate to change his mind. He will live on in my heart and the hearts of countless other people who shared and cherished his words of wisdom and deep devotion to friendship."
Evans, who was born on Sept. 20, 1931, joined The Miami Herald in 1949 as a copy boy and started writing about bowling in 1957. After his retirement from The Miami Herald in 1989, he moved to Daytona Beach, Fla., where he continued to write for The Miami Herald and the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
"Almost anyone who competed in professional bowling nationally or participated in local leagues in South Florida from the 1960s through the 1990s will know the name Dick Evans and will have a lingering appreciation for the attention and interest he brought to the sport," longtime Miami Herald reporter Gary Long told The Miami Herald. "I'll remember him as a good newspaperman, of course, but more as just a really good guy. If you knew him, you liked him."
Evans, the youngest of three brothers to write for The Miami Herald, first started with the paper as a delivery boy in 1943 and then went on to assist the sports staff with football scores between 1945-47. He became a full-time employee at age 17 and joined the paper's sports staff at age 20, covering various sports, including college football, high schools and tennis.
A prolific bowling writer, Evans collected more than 60 writing contest awards from various bowling publications over a span of more than 50 years. His weekly bowling stories for The Miami Herald were distributed by the Knight-Ridder chain to 144 daily newspapers with a combined daily circulation of more than 10 million papers.
In recognition for his contribution to the sport of bowling, Evans was honored by various organizations, including the Bowling Writers Association of America, the World Bowling Writers, the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America and the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America.
An avid tennis player, Evans also was recognized in 2002 as Florida's top tennis writer. He continued to write about tennis and bowling for the Daytona Beach News-Journal until his death. His bowling stories have appeared in every bowling magazine published and his features and opinion columns were published by a number of regional bowling publications.
Funeral arrangements are pending, but Evan's wife, Joan, told The Miami Herald it was her husband's wish to be cremated and have his remains scattered on The Miami Herald grounds.
"Dick loved the Herald and he loved Miami," Joan Evans told The Miami Herald. "It was his life."
Evans is survived by his wife Joan Gano Evans, son, Richard V. Evans, an attorney in Louisville, Ky., and three grandchildren - Peyton, Carter and Walker.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the University of Miami, where Evans attended on a scholarship while working full time at The Miami Herald.