Shirley Evans

Shirley Evans, 102, passed away May 22, 2026. She was born May 12, 1924, in Glendale, CA. She was the youngest of eleven children of Alvin Regan and Flora Mae Forest.

Losing her mother at age twelve, Shirley lived with several siblings until she moved to Coalinga, CA to live with her older sister Grace and husband Jack Melton. When both joined the military, she moved to Los Angeles and went to work at the Douglas Aircraft Factory in Long Beach California as a true “Rosie the Riveter.” Two years later she and some girlfriends moved to Ventura California where one had grown up. There, she met the love of her life, Bill “Doc” Evans, who had been discharged from the Army due to an injury. Shortly after they married, he went to work for Union Oil Company, moving back to Coalinga after the war. Doc’s work later took them back south to Santa Paula and then Alaska followed by five years traveling the world thanks to an international stint in Borneo, Indonesia. During those times they had one son and Shirley worked as a bookkeeper, school secretary, and finally as office manager of the family business Do Maui Club, a Japanese travel service in Maui, Hawaii.

Shirley was an avid reader and enjoyed playing golf and tennis plus painting in her later years. She and Doc were married for 53 years and enjoyed time with her large extended family and their friends. Later they moved to Maui to be close to their son Cliff and daughter-in-law Debbie. Predeceased by her husband by 29 years, she moved with her son and his wife and children to Spokane and later to Florida. She loved spending time with her three grandchildren and their spouses and four great grandchildren.

Shirley is survived by her son Cliff and daughter in law Debbie [Lindemann] Evans; granddaughter Deidre Evans; grandson Brandon and wife Emily [Moore] Evans; granddaughter Raina [Evans] Pratt and husband Brian; and granddaughters Suraya and Fiona and grandsons Elias and Kendrick Pratt.

Per Shirley’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. Her remains will be flown to join Doc’s in Santa Paula, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Catholic Foundation, Diocese of St Augustine, 11625 Old St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville, FL 32258 [Note: donations may be made “unrestricted” or to a preferred parish, ministry or Catholic school’s fund] or to Pine Castle, Inc., 4911 Spring Park Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32207.

The family also thanks the staff and community members of Sodalis, Jacksonville, for the care, support and friendship Shirley received during her more than two years as a member of their assisted living community. She also benefited greatly from the Holy Family Catholic Church’s weekly outreach ministry and end of life care from Haven Hospice. We are forever grateful to all those who helped enrich her final years with deep friendship and care and her friends and neighbors at Summer House in Ponte Vedra who never forgot her.

And last but not least, Regan family great nieces Murla Cross and Marge Mina and their families made sure Aunt Shirley always knew she was loved and remembered as the last matriarch of a large and loving family!