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Patrick Justice

Pupil

I never had the pleasure of meeting or learning from Gary in person, but gained so much knowledge and insight from the classes he posted online. I’m sad to say those videos and course links have since been taken down and I wish I could enjoy them all again. If anyone has access to or knowledge of where one might access those course materials Gary used to have posted on youtube or his page palmislandtraders, I would be eternally grateful to hear from you. I can be reached at patrickorbenjamin@gmail.com or 818.406.5586.
I feel blessed to have gotten the chance to learn from Professor Evans and will always hold what he shared with the world in my heart and in the highest of regards.

michael van Driel 91/92 ’91

Student, friend, mentor

Professor Evans was one of maybe three people that had the biggest impact on my life both personally and professionally…. if not for Gary I’d never have built up the courage to carve a life for myself and my family abroad. Every time I do a pitch, be the pitch to clinicians or business partners, I always to this day think of Gary and the enormous impact he had and continues to have on me. I was so fortunate this summer to have had the opportunity to tell him this myself in person, and what an honor and privilege that was. Jennifer, Sonia and family, I am so very sorry for your loss but I will always cherish what Gary has given me and the memories of him. He leaves the world a better place thanks to all the people he helped and mentored, there are few who can ever say the same. He will be sorely missed by all.

Gil Fuchs ’85

Student and disciple

The think which most struck me about Professor Evans (can I now finally call him Gary 🙂 ) was his free thinking and being unencumbered by dogma, gospel and expectations. I wrote to my mom at the time, after just a few sessions of Econ that I have met someone so refreshingly open minded and encompassing. I loved his classes and further enjoyed directed reading classes with him which he happy got out of his way accommodate me to it. He helped me think for myself – that is the biggest gift an educator can give his student. and for this I will eternally be grateful. Sorry that I didn’t have a chance to him in person. my condolences to his family of this unique incredible human being. he made a difference !

Paul Steinberg

Colleague and friend

Gary was an amazing mentor and friend. I have more memories than I could share, but here’s a handful. At a time when I was encountering pushback against a new initiative, he said “Never mind them! You’re a steamship, just keep plowing ahead.” At a time when he perceived a threat to free speech on campus, he said if anyone tries to chill dialogue, he’d tack a poster of Chairman Mao on his door. When I was looking for housing, he thumbed his nose at the snootiness of Claremont said “Don’t look west – go east!” He loved hanging out with unpretentious people at the Etiwanda Roadhouse in Rancho. Poker, martinis, grandkids, and economics. He had more backbone than anyone I know, yet didn’t have a mean bone in his body. I never heard him make an unfair remark. He always spoke with such strength and dignity at faculty meetings. With students, any time I passed by his office he was hanging onto their every word. This guy was one in a million. I will miss him and will never forget his example.

Paul Frankel ’86

Student, friend and colleague

Professor Evans was unmatched in his humor as professor. In one class, I was required to write a 12 page research paper. My paper was short of the required length, so naturally I increased the font size. When I first turned in the paper, he said “Hold on”. And he walked to other side of his office and propped the paper up and walked back to the door and looked at it with me from a distance and said “Yup. I thought I could read it from across the room”. His humor, insight and ability to communicate complex ideas was easy to see as a student, but it is only in hindsight that I could see his foresight. To watch how he evolved the program at HMC to foster the entrepeneurial spirit within student engineers and scientists was nothing short of amazing. And how he engaged and befriended former students, and gave us insights, connections and advice, was beyond generous. To Sonia and his entire family, thank you for sharing his time with us.

Hal S. Barron

Colleague

I went to Gary’s office to chat more times than I can remember. After all, we were colleagues for almost 40 years. And, when we finally graduated to become the “old farts” in the department, we had even more to talk about. All good.

Christopher J. Niggle Professsor Emeritus Universstiy of Redlands

Friend, colleague

Gary Evans was a dear friend, colleague and mentor. He was a serious intellectual with a wide range of interests. Although trained as an economist, he was equally conversant with history, literature and film. As a friend, he was always willing to point out a mistake one might be making. We met when he was a student in a course I taught at CSU Fresno; he later served on my dissertation committee at UC Riverside. I miss him very much.

David Coats ’08

Student

Unexpected. He was best when off-roading during his lectures. Sure, the class would start off with 500 slides on government debt. But around slide 25 his lecture would veer off into something far more fiery, interesting, strange, and relevant. Whether it was exorcism, contango in the oil futures market, 30-year fixed home mortgage advice, boondoggles, or Chipotle chicken shacks, you left the lecture with far fuller education than you ever expected from ECON 159: Fixed Income.
You live as long as the last person who remembers you; Prof. Evans will be with us for a very long time.

Mo Dyson

Former student and friend

Gary Evans figured prominently in my life over the last 10 years. I first met him in 2010 via my spouse at a Friday social event put on by the HSA Department.

Fast forward about 7 years to my time as a Pomona College student, Gary was the only reason I passed macroeconomics. His pragmatic approach to teaching, and the real-life examples he gave in class allowed me to grasp the concepts quickly, and through his instruction I also learned the valuable skills of timely investing in and trading stocks!

After I graduated in 2019, I got a job in Mudd’s Financial Aid office & made a point to pop in and chat with him whenever I could. He always took time to engage with me, even if it was on the move as he walked to his next class.

I feel fortunate to have known Gary, and grateful for the lessons he taught me. May his memory continue to be a blessing to all who knew him.

Sean M. Messenger ’15

Student

Professor Evans, his classes, and his outlook were an unexpected highlight of my time at Mudd. He truly cared for his students and enjoyed seeing their accomplishments. He was open, flexible, and always supportive.

I appreciate all my time I had with him, from his candid thoughts on geopolitical affairs to his fascination with bitcoin mining. I’ll cherish my fond memories and wish his family and friends the best! Thank you, Prof. Evans, for everything!