R. Michael Evans

Robert Michael (Mike) Evans of Houston, TX was born to Doris O’Banion Evans and Robert Eason Evans in Vallejo, CA. He passed away on July 17, 2025 from complications of previously undiagnosed leukemia at the age of 82. Mike was devoted to his loving family, his lifelong friends from Texas and California, his alma mater Rice University, and his vibrant community of friends at Brookdale West U.

Mike is survived by his children Jennifer Arntzen (Chris) and James Evans (Catherine), by his brothers David Evans (Pam) and James Evans, and by his four grandchildren Will and Wade Arntzen and Max and Zoe Evans. He is also survived by his sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews, and his companion Anne-Marie Bobst. He is predeceased by his wife Jane Marshall Evans, and his parents Doris O’Banion Evans and Robert Eason Evans.

During his childhood in Houston, Mike enjoyed friendships made on Luca Street where he, his brothers, and the neighbors played intense games of street football, driveway basketball, and board and card games. Summers were spent riding bikes around Houston or at the local swimming pool. Mike loved to tell the story of when he was 14 years old and he was given the car keys to a neighbor’s Plymouth with instructions to drive all the kids from Luca Street to the local pool so the mothers could play canasta in peace. He sat on two large phone books to see over the steering wheel, in a car filled with other kids, and no seat belts. This became their summer ritual for several years.

Mike was a member of one of the first graduating classes of Jesse H. Jones High School in 1961. He then attended Rice University, beginning his lifelong relationship with the Rice Owls. At Rice, Mike enjoyed his friends, mechanical engineering coursework, naval ROTC, and intramural flag football. He took pride in being chosen as a walk-on to the baseball team. During his final year at Rice, Mike was assigned to write an article about the brand-new Astrodome in Houston for the Rice Engineering magazine. He received the magazine’s cover photos of a Rice co-ed named Janie Marshall, and the trajectory of his life changed forever.

Mike phoned Janie, who he had never met in person, and asked her for a date. Janie excused herself to run upstairs in search of her Rice yearbook from the prior year. Who was this strange fellow calling out of the blue? Mike had seen her pictures, dressed in full Astros Spacette (usher) gear and was lovestruck. Luckily, Janie said yes to the date. They soon became a couple and stayed together even when Mike began his graduate work at Stanford University the next fall. Unable to bear the separation, Mike drove from California to Houston during spring break and proposed. They married in the summer of 1967 in Houston, Janie transferred to Stanford to finish her degree, and they started their life together in the Bay Area.

Mike and Jane engaged fully in their communities in California. In Palo Alto, where daughter Jennifer was born, Mike got his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. In Monterey, where son Jim was born, Mike taught Calculus at the Naval Postgraduate School and retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant. In San Jose, Mike transitioned from engineer to entrepreneur with Acurex, Alzeta, XCI, and EPRI. Friendships were cultivated with entire families because everyone they met was a “transplant” from somewhere else. This tight group of families spent weekends and holidays together. Great memories were created at the dinner table, the beach, the ski cabin, volunteering at the kid’s schools, and coaching the kids’ sports.

During his kids’ early teen years, the family took several trips with Mike’s brothers, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. Favorites were two houseboat trips to Lake Powell, where his brother Jim was the houseboat captain, Mike and his brother David were the waterski boat adventure leaders, Jane and Pam planned camp-style meals and evening games, Jim and his cousin Marc found the best mud for mud fights, while Jennifer and her cousin Kelly read books and suntanned. Mike always enjoyed time spent in person with his brothers as well as their long phone conversations over the years.

Mike took great pride in the fact that both of his children chose to attend Rice University. Because both Jennifer and Jim settled in Houston, Mike and Jane made the decision to “retire” to Houston in 2005. Jane was “all in” – she had grandkids there and was ready to go. Mike took some convincing because he hated to leave their friends, his tennis buddies, and the weather of California. The possibility of reconnecting with Rice was the selling point for him in this big move. And when he realized how much more time he could spend with his four grandchildren, he never regretted the move. Mike and Jane bought their home in Meyerland and began hosting many family holidays including the family Christmas Eve fondue dinner and big Easter egg hunts with Jane’s extended family. All of the grandchildren cherished Grandma and Grandpa time on weekends – knowing the visits and sleepovers would mean hours of games, playdoh, dress-up and storytelling. Mike stayed active in each of the grandchildren’s lives as they got older. He coached soccer teams, cheered for grandkids at volleyball and basketball games, and watched his granddaughter’s dance performances.

Mike did reconnect with Rice. He taught visiting Norwegian students at the Jones Graduate School of Business and spent a year as the President of Rice Engineering Alumni. Through his extensive work with the Rice Alliance and Rice Incubator, he worked with start-up entrepreneurs, and as a frequent judge for the Rice Business Plan Competition. He thrived in this second career because it allowed him to engage with interesting people, think about the complexities of their business situations, share his knowledge, and support and encourage others’ success.

After their home flooded in the Memorial Day flood of 2015, Mike and Jane decided to move to Brookdale West University. Again, Mike was hesitant, but imagined that it would be a great place for Jane given her health battles. And he was right. Jane was able to enjoy meals with friends, outings when she felt good, and many activities including Scrabble and more than one book club. With never a complaint, Mike spent the final years of Jane’s life as her loving and devoted primary caregiver while she battled cancer. In 2020, he lost her, at a difficult time to be alone because of covid restrictions.

After Jane’s passing, Mike deepened friendships within the Brookdale Community through meals, bridge games, and the charity fundraising that he loved doing and had a natural talent for. In 2022, a new neighbor moved in next door, and as he always did, Mike invited this new resident to join him and his friends at lunch. What developed was a very special friendship with Anne-Marie Bobst. They soon became close companions and enjoyed several cruises, outings around Houston, dinners, TV nights, and great conversation over the past three years.

The family appreciates the dedicated staff of Brookdale West University where Mike lived for the past ten years. The family is also grateful to the wonderful doctors and nurses who cared for Mike at St. Luke’s Hospital during his final days.

Mike was deeply loved and will be missed. His sense of humor and his passion for helping others will be remembered. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at 3PM at Bradshaw-Carter, 1734 W Alabama Street in Houston. Please honor Mike by taking the time to really engage with others the way that he did.

If you would like to donate in Mike’s memory, please consider these organizations he supported:

Periwinkle Foundation: periwinklefoundation.org

Alzheimer’s Association: alz.org