William Evans, Jr.: Obituary William Sterling “Bill” Evans, Jr 1942 ~ 2024
William Sterling “Bill” Evans, Jr. was born on June 11, 1942 in Butte, Montana and died on June 26, 2024 in Salt Lake City, surrounded by family at home, with a picture-window view of his beloved Joseph Smith Memorial Building and Salt Lake Temple.
To know Bill was to love him – and everyone seemed to know him. His children still laugh about the people who leaned out of cars in downtown Salt Lake to shout “hello” to Bill, or the various community leaders who went out of their way at events to chat with him.
He had a special talent for noticing those who often went unnoticed, including befriending and taking a special interest in an unhoused couple who spent time outside his office building.
He always made it a point to remember a stranger’s name
He always made it a point to remember a stranger’s name, and, with his quick quips and dry humor, he brought smiles to the faces of everyone from surly teens to random people riding the elevator. He grew up in Salt Lake City and attended Granite High School, where he wrestled, sang in the glee club, and was elected student body vice-president.
He was a very persuasive speaker. Bill served a two-and-a-half year mission to Berlin, Germany from 1961 to 1963. He saw the Berlin wall go up, and he was in the crowd when John F. Kennedy gave his “I am a jelly donut (“Berliner”)” speech. Bill graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Political Science and from Brigham Young University with a master’s degree in Public Administration.
He worked for a time in the Phoenix
Arizona mayor’s office and was involved with members of the civil rights movement. In particular, he developed a friendship with Esther Love, a prominent advocate for Black American civil rights; and he later developed a friendship with Darius Gray, one of the founders of Genesis, a community of Black Latter-day Saints.
Bill worked for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Public Affairs and also served as chief lobbyist for the Church. Near the end of his career, he was instrumental in the passage of Proposition 8 in California; for his next assignment, however, Bill was asked to build relationships between the LGBTQ community and the Church.
In doing this, his heart was turned toward advocacy for them.
As a result, some of his most enjoyable work came after he retired from the Church and sat on the board of Affirmation, a “community of support for LGBTQ Mormons and those who love them.”
Bill was a high priest in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: he served as a bishop as well as on various high councils. He went to the Salt Lake Temple weekly. He raised seven children, “all boys but five,” with their mother, Gloria Evans. Bill loved his children deeply and taught them, through example, to be curious and interested in knowing and connecting with others.
Bill truly preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in actions and deeds (rather than only in words). Late in life he met and married the love of his life: Linda.
They truly saw each other, and built their lives around service and community.
They loved to hold hands and sing together. As his health deteriorated, she was his main caregiver until the end, and he often talked about what a remarkable woman she was. We will miss him so much (as will NPR and BYU sports, who, in his death, lost a devoted listener and fan).
Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Linda, his seven children – Matt (Brooklyn), Amanda (Jeremy), Andrea, Dan (Kallie), Bryn (Evan), Sian (Sean), and Whitney (Mark) – seventeen beautiful grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and his favorite brother, Brent. He was preceded in death by his dear mother, Mabel, and his sisters, Sondra and Mabel Judy.
A celebration of life will be held at an LDS chapel on July 22, 2024 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. MT at 413 W Capitol Street, Salt Lake City, UT.
