H. William (Bill) Evans, age 97, died suddenly on September 1st, 2024 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN. A Memorial Service for Bill will be at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 28th at The Church of St. Joseph, 435 West 7th St. in Red Wing, MN, with the burial nearby at Calvary Cemetery. A luncheon at the church will follow the burial. Visitation for Bill will be in church narthex 1 hour before service.
Bill was born in Madison, WI to Harold and Alice (Carey) Evans. He married Lois Coenen on November 27, 1948 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Madison, WI. who preceded him in death, August 2021. Bill started flying in January of 1943 when he was 16 and a junior in high school. He received his Commercial Pilots License at age 18. Shortly after, Bill was drafted and assigned to the mechanized cavalry and to a reconnaissance squad at Ft. Riley, KS. After seventeen weeks of training, he was sent overseas. While enroute, the nuclear bombs were dropped and the armistice was signed. They were diverted to the Philippines for occupation duty. It was then, that they found out, that they were scheduled to be the 3rd wave to invade the Japanese main land. Later, Historians figured it would have taken at least 6 waves to establish a beach head. Bill’s always had high regard for Harry Truman, whom he figured, saved his life.
After being discharged from the Army, Bill immediately went back to flying as a charter pilot and instructor while getting the experience and additional ratings to qualify for airline flying. During that time, Bill met the love of his life, Lois. They were married, November 1948, raised five children, and were together for 72 years of married life. Bill was hired by Wisconsin Central Airlines (formerly North Central, Republic, Northwest and now Delta Airlines) in October of 1951. In addition to a regular line pilot, Bill was also a FAA appointed Check Airman and was with the training department for over 26 years. During his 35 years with the Airlines, Bill accumulated over 30,000 flying hours, flying the Douglas DC3, Convair 340/440, Convair 580 (Turbo Prop), The DC 9 and the last six years the Boeing 727. In October of 1986 Republic Airlines merged with Northwest Airlines. That was also the month Bill was 60 years old, at that time the mandatory retirement age for Airline Pilots. Bill’s last trip was October 24, 1986 but what was special was that his oldest son, Pat, who had been hired in 1978, flew the last month with his Dad as his First Officer. That was a very special time for both.
Bill, Lois and family moved from Madison, WI to Savage, MN in 1960 and lived there for 17 years. They then moved to Prior Lake, MN for another 17 years and then moved to Cold Spring, MN in 1993. In 2016 Bill and Lois moved to an apartment in St. Therese of Woodbury MN to be closer to children and grandchildren. After retirement, Bill and Lois bought a motor home and toured the country and spent most winters in Arizona until 2005.
Bill is survived by his children, Pat (Sandy) Evans, Red Wing MN, Tim (Alex) Evans, Littleton, CO, Carly (Christine) Evans, Edina, MN, Teresa Evans, St. Paul MN and Steve (Susan) Evans, New Prague, MN; six grandchildren, Kristin Ebel (Derek), Rachel Evans, James Evans (Emily), Alec Evans, Marc Evans and Kayla Schowalter (David) and two great grandchildren, Lane Schowalter and Benjamin Evans. Bill was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters, Mary Collins, Ruth Coe and Betty Ganser.
