Richard T. Evans

Dr. Richard Trent Evans, DDS, 83, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, formerly of the Britt and Clarion area, passed away Thursday, July 2, 2009 at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Richard Evans (also known as Dick Evans), the son of Neta and George Evans, was born April 8, 1926 in Clarion, Iowa. He grew up in Clarion and went to school in Clarion, Iowa. He enlisted in the Navy his junior year of high school in 1944, during World War II. He was just 17 years old and served at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After the war he was honorably discharged and he came back to Clarion, Iowa and graduated from high school in 1947. Following his graduation from high school he went to the University of Iowa. He met his wife Donna in Clarion and they were married during his first year of college. He continued his studies at the University of Iowa, where he received his degree of Dentistry with highest honors. Dick was united in marriage to Donna Melhus April 6, 1950 at First Lutheran Church in Clarion. The couple lived in Iowa City during college, but moved to Britt where Dick practiced dentistry for 37 years. After Dick retired he and Donna moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to live near their sons and grandchildren. He and Donna have three sons, Tim, Tom, and Jim and seven grandchildren: John R. Evans, Richard (Ty) Evans, Christopher and Jerra Evans and Michael, Zachery and Jenna Evans. He belonged to many organizations during his professional years including the Commercial Club, the Lion’s Club, the Britt Country Club, the Britt School Board and was the president of many of these organizations. He was a trustee of the Iowa Dental Association and was very active and held many positions with this organization. Dick enjoyed many different pasts times; riding horses, canoeing, jogging, golf, remote control airplanes, fishing in Canada with his sons and friends, sailing with his brother-in-law Fritz Gould, spending time on amateur radio, traveling and camping, computers and spending time with his family and friends. He belonged to the First Lutheran Church in Clarion, Iowa and attended Calvary Chapel in Fort Lauderdale while living in Florida. Dick is survived by his loving wife Donna, his much loved sons and their wives, Tim and Linda Evans, tom and Donna Evans, Jim and Val Evans and his beloved grandchildren, J.R., Ty, Kristopher, Jerra, Michael, Zachery and Jenna Evans, his sister Janet Gould (sister-in-law) and her children Laura, Scott, Cynthia and Robb and their children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews: Steve, Lori, and Bob Evans, Andrea Themes, Susan Lee, Jeff Melhus, David Melhus, Michael Melhus, Linda, Larry and Leonard Melhus, Bobby, Mindy and Randy Phelps. He was loved by all of his family and will be missed very much. He was preceded in death by his parents Neta and George Evans, and his two younger brothers John and George Jr.