Wallace Eugene Evans
Santa Cruz Sentinel
APTOS, CALIF. – Wallace Eugene Evans was born August 9, 1933 and died August 27, 2023.
Wally grew up in Aptos, California, the oldest son of Charles Rodley Evans and Georgie Mae Evans. He had one sibling, younger brother Claude Richard Evans.
Wally attended Santa Cruz High School, graduating in 1951. He went on to take classes at Cal Poly and University of Texas, before joining the Air Force. Returning to Santa Cruz County, he married Dona Suzanne Cox (Suzie) August 18, 1957. They had three children: Craig Rodley Evans, Dana Lynn Evans, and Todd Garner Evans.
Wally worked for Granite Rock for over 20 years, rising through the ranks from truck driver to executive. He bought Valley Feed in Watsonville in 1976, and ran the feed store until he sold it in 2017.
An avid horseman, Wally was particularly passionate about team roping, and horse packing (as well as fishing) in the Sierras. He owned many beloved horses over the years, and won numerous team roping buckles and saddles, including at the Santa Cruz County Fair and the Salinas Rodeo. One of his most memorable moments occurred at the 1997 Salinas Rodeo, when he and his local partner defeated several well known professional rodeo cowboys to win the Gold Card Championship Team Roping event.
Wally is preceded in death by his youngest son Todd in December 2008, his beloved Suzie in January 2021 and his younger brother Claude in November 2021. He is survived by his son, Craig Evans, a Santa Cruz County veterinarian, and his daughter, Dana Dentice, an auto loan consultant, as well as his grandchildren—Nicholas Rodley Evans, Kiersten Lynn Evans, Casey Ryan Evans, and Peter Joseph Dentice.
There were no services as was his wish. His ashes will be scattered around several of his favorite spots. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Santa Cruz County Fair or the National Park Service.