The Mountain-Ear
The voice of the Peak to Peak
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| Lee S. Evans: March 1, 1917 - Nov. 7, 2009 |
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| Written by administrator | |
| Thursday, 19 November 2009 | |
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Nederland Lee Evans grew up riding horses on the mountain trails outside of Eldora, scrambling to make a living in hard times. He loved the land he roamed and vowed that he would do his part to protect it. Later he was a builder, a writer, a visionary, a professor, a consultant, a husband and a father. Lee died peacefully on Nov. 7 in his Arapahoe Ranch home with his wife Virginia by his side. Born on March 1, 1917 in Superior, Colorado, to Samuel Graves Evans and Jennie Lee Evans, Lee made his way to the mountains, to Eldora’s Happy Valley when he was young boy. His first job, to help his widowed mother, was as a horse wrangler, a packer and a dude guide. He came to know the mountains between Eldora and the Continental Divide and became adept at introducing the wild west to tourists. Despite formidable odds, he attended college and excelled, earning a BSBA degree from the University of Colorado in 1940. Lee received an MBA at Northwestern University in 1941 and continued working toward a doctorate, during which time he taught at Northwestern. Concurrent with being a student and an instructor, he managed three large investment trusts and then became an administrator of a critical component program for the Navy Department Bureau of Yards and Docks during World War II. In 1946, Lee joined the faculty at the College of Business Administration, University of Denver, where, for 18 years, he was the youngest full professor in the entire university. He resigned in 1971 to pursue other careers and was awarded the designation of Professor Emeritus. While teaching at DU, Lee began consulting for home builders, “moonlighting” during the weekends, evenings, and vacation periods. After his resignation from the University, he started a full-time management consulting business with his wife, Virginia, whom he married in 1969. They soon added a seminar business for home builders, and they ran the two businesses very successfully until the mid-1990s. Lee’s wide management background made him particularly suited for these occupations, and he became internationally known for his expertise in management for home builders. He received many national awards along the way, including induction into the National Association of Home Builders Hall of Fame. In 1999, BUILDER, the magazine of the National Association of Home Builders, named Lee one of the one hundred most influential people in the housing industry in the 20th Century. Lee was dedicated to preserving his beloved Arapahoe Ranch and in 1988 he granted a conservation easement, along with other member of the Evans family, without compensation, to Colorado Open Lands insuring that future generations will also enjoy the beauty of the land. The ranch is now a bird sanctuary and wildlife refuge. Lee is survived by his wife of 40 years, Virginia, and three children from a previous marriage to Parthena Price Evans: Dr. Joseph M. Evans (Nancy), Kayla Lee Evans (Mary Ann Flynn), and Tamara Evans Holmboe (Kirk). He also has seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Lee’s Life for family and friends is planned for Sat. November 21st at 2:00 p.m. at Calvary Chapel of Nederland, 275 Highway 72, Nederland. He will be honored for his success in each of many different careers. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lee and Virginia Evans Scholarship, National Housing Endowment, National Association of Home Builder, 1201 15th Street N. W., Washington, D.C. 20005; or to the Lee and Virginia Evans Endowed Scholarship Fund, Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, 2101 South University Boulevard, Denver, CO 80208; or to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Lee and Virginia Evans Cat and Kitten Adoption Center, 2323 55th Street, Boulder, CO 80301-2806. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 December 2009 ) |
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