Rodney Evans
Sep 28, 1957 -
Aug 12, 2023
Rodney O'Neil Evans, 65, of Anchorage, Alaska, passed away on Aug. 12, 2023, at his home with his family by his side following a long battle with cancer. He was born on Sept. 28, 1957, in Rapid City, S.D., to parents Phyllis and Merrill Evans. He led an adventurous life from a young age, living the life of an expat overseas in Libya, Egypt, and England, where his father was employed as a petroleum geologist. In the summers he worked on the Evans family ranch in Wyoming. As a youngster in the Middle East, Rodney roamed freely with his pack of friends: swimming in the sea, sleeping on rooftops under the stars, getting into dirt clod fights with the locals and sneaking into belly dancing bars. A self-proclaimed troublemaker by the time they moved to England in his teen years, Rodney attended the American School in London from ninth to 11th grade, where he was then informed he "better find a new place to attend 11th grade." He completed his high school education at Herringswell Manor Boarding School in England. He credited his headmistress Miss Mac as well as the Boys' Master Bob Bennet for being pivotal influences in his life; Miss Mac ruled the school with an iron fist and Master Bob taught him principles of Zen and meditation.
Rodney received a Bachelor of Science in oceanic engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology in August 1979, and a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Louisville in December 1987. He was a PE in civil engineering, and he had a successful career as a corrosion engineer, most notably at CorrPro, Coffman Engineers and ConocoPhillips in Anchorage. Rodney volunteered at Dimond High School to mentor prospective young engineers. Engineering provided him international employment opportunities throughout his life, working contracts in Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Anchorage was to be his forever home where he raised his family.
Rodney met his wife Molly Knoepfle in Anchorage on her birthday on the dance floor at Rumrunners. They had a whirlwind romance, and they were married on Dec. 28, 1996, in Denver, Colo. They raised their daughter Emily with the Alaskan spirit, and enjoyed many family camping trips and rafting excursions on the Kenai River. At home, Rodney was ferociously competitive while watching Jeopardy and playing Scrabble with his family, and any who dared to challenge him. As a father, Rodney encouraged his daughter "Who dares, wins" and to be prepared, but always ready to improvise. He was a loving parent and friend in adulthood to Emily. He sought to be a good provider for his family, which he succeeded at in full.
In his spare time, Rodney took to wood carving out in the garage - his man cave. He was an active member of the local wood carving club and involved with the Artistry in Wood exhibits during Fur Rendezvous and the Alaska State Fair. He won several blue ribbons at the State Fair for his wood spirits, canes and hand carved toys. Rodney was also an avid motorcyclist, and he loved life on the open road. His favorite motorcycle event was Dust to Dawson, in which he would ride his Ural motorcycle with a sidecar from Anchorage to Dawson City, Yukon Territory. He spoke of the long ride adventures like a set of rapids to go through on a raft, where there is no past, no future, but only an incredibly large amount of now. "To be living is not enough, but to be alive - in whatever way that may look like, per the individual - is what we may all strive for." Spiritually, Rodney believed in a creator and Zen Buddhist principles, and spoke with fascination and awe of the intersection and harmoniousness of metaphysics that he studied within his engineering courses, and faith.
Rodney is survived by his wife, Molly Evans; daughter, Emily Evans; brother, Steve (wife Julie) Evans; sister, Janice (husband Bill) Phares-Manganaro; and mother, Phyllis Evans; as well as several nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father, Merrill Evans. We thank our family and amazing friends who supported us through this difficult journey as well as his many wonderful healthcare providers.
The celebration of life for Rodney Evans will take place on Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, at 12 p.m., at the Anchorage Moose Lodge No. 1534, 4211 Arctic Boulevard, Anchorage, AK 99503. Donations can be made in his honor to the American Cancer Society.
