Print industry veteran Larry Evans passed away on April 17 at age 64.
Born and raised in Charlotte, NC, Evans graduated from Olympic High School in 1973. He then attended Rochester Institute of Technology and graduated in 1976.
Following in his father’s footsteps to become a printer by trade, his career highlights including working at DuPont, serving on the advisory board for the Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) graphic arts department, and being a judge for the Phoenix Challenge high school skills competition for more than 20 years.
Sam Ingram, graphic communications professor at Clemson University, recalls meeting Evans in the late 1980s during a flexography symposium at the school. Over the years, the two collaborated on numerous student projects with LTC, which would later become Vertis. Ingram says Evans was a mentor in assisting both him and SmileyColor & Associates’ Steve Smiley on wide web and corrugated direct print projects.
“Together we learned how to develop the best questions for solving problems–not merely throwing around answers we were all familiar with,” recalls Ingram. “In short, we learned how to learn. As our learning journey continued, others joined our conversations and during each event, the many color management symposia over the years, Larry always brought new friends to expand our ‘Clemson learning network.’ The classroom was a party—Smiles and laughs were had by all!”
Ingram tells the story of one particular adventure he says demonstrates Evans’ caring, motivation and intensity. Following an intense week of symposium activity in the early 2000s, Evans stayed at Ingram’s house. On Saturday, they left to fish for rainbow trout on Lake Jocassee. “As we were winding around the steep narrow road, Larry looked behind, making sure my boat was still on the trailer. Suddenly he exclaimed ‘Whoa!’ I said ‘What?’ He replied, ‘First time I have been out of the office in four years! No phone reception!’ I had to chuckle, and so did Larry. I miss him.”
Just a few years ago, Mark Samworth of Esko said he was lecturing at an industry seminar at Clemson and was thrilled to see Larry show up as a student.
“Throughout the two days, he was very participative in the seminar and seemed to agree with every principle I taught,” says Samworth. “It wasn’t until I was driving to the airport and reflecting on the seminar that I realized why he agreed with me. The reason: I had actually learned those principles from him 30 years earlier!”
Mark Mazur says he never met anyone who was more captivated by printing. “I will never forget Larry showing me around his garage, and there was a small offset press that he would play with as a child. His childhood blocks were typesetting blocks; his finger paints, ink. Few people know that early in life their future career—Larry did and embraced it wholeheartedly.”
Bettylyn Krafft, chairman of The Phoenix Challenge Foundation and who knew Evans for about 32 years, adds that he was a mentor to so many. “When you were around Larry, you couldn’t help but be excited about the industry,” she says. “His passion was technical education… He was more about the technical end and getting kids to understand the process and color.”
With Larry’s widow Cindy, Krafft is starting a scholarship fund in memory of Evans at CPCC.
“I’m hoping that the kids who will apply for it will learn more about what his passion was,” notes Krafft. ”Larry was more passionate than anyone I’ve really met.”