Local obituary: Richard Evans, 87, ‘lived a remarkable and fortunate life’

Evans, Richard Payne Age 87, of North Chelmsford, MA, and, formerly, of Lexington, MA, died on June 30, 2023, at Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln, MA, after months of declining health.

Dick lived a remarkable and fortunate life. He was the first African American to attend the Shady Hill School in Cambridge. He graduated from the Putney School in Vermont, received his undergraduate degree from Boston University and his M. Ed. from Harvard. He served in the U.S. Navy as part of the ceremonial guard.

Dick spent his early post-college years working for his father who owned Evans & Rossi Lumber Company in Medford. He held Human Resources management positions at Raytheon and Honeywell and then a consulting position at Arthur D. Little, Inc., where he met Charlotte, his wife of nearly 46 years. He went on to become an independent consultant and was on the adjunct faculty of several local universities, including Northeastern University where he taught for more than 20 years. He was an active member of Trinity Church, Boston, for many years and was the first Black person elected to its vestry, the governing body of the church.

In retirement, Dick enjoyed active involvement at the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, a Cambridge-based lifelong learning community where he chaired the admissions committee and participated in a wide variety of classes — his favorite, Reading The New Yorker. His curiosity about how things work ranged from a fascination with gadgets — he always had the latest one — to teaching organizational behavior.

Dick was a natural athlete, a graceful swimmer, skier, an avid tennis player, and later in life, a terrific golfer. He loved both classical music and jazz; he and Charlotte were BSO subscribers for over 40 years and his knowledge of the history of jazz was legend. Readily acknowledging his wife’s wanderlust, Dick frequently followed her on travel adventures across the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Caribbean.

He was an authentic listener, leaning in to new ideas and perspectives with a gusto that made every dinner party lively and entertaining. Friends and family often felt lighter and smarter after spending time with him. He will be deeply missed.

Above all, Dick had a keen and unique sense of humor, an impish quality and a perennial twinkle in his eye. He could usually find the humor in most situations and helped others find the way there, but he especially enjoyed making fun of himself. As noted in a Boston Business magazine article about notable Blacks in the area, his “presence [could] be felt when he walks into a room.” After its publications, Dick stood with one foot over the threshold of their kitchen and asked Charlotte, “How much of me has to be in the room before you can feel my presence?”

Dick is survived by this wife, Charlotte; his son, Duey; and his daughter, Stephanie Echavarri and her husband, Miguel; five granddaughters, Marisa Echavarri-Free and her husband, Mitchell, Amanda Echavarri and her fiancé, Eric Jansen, Halie, Rhiannon and Carole Evans; and great-granddaughter, Celine Free.

A memorial service for Dick will be held on Tuesday, August 22, at 11:00 a.m. at the Church of Our Redeemer, 6 Meriam St., Lexington, MA. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice.

This local obituary is published via Legacy.com. Want a loved one’s obituary featured on Boston.com? Submit your obituary here, or email it to [email protected].

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