Fredric Lester “Les” Evans passed away January 14, 2025, at the age of 86 years. Born March 8, 1938 in Nevada City, California, to Robert Evans and Geraldine Raynor, Les was the second child of four and was known as “Sonny” to his family. As a youngster, Les attended school in Grass Valley and Nevada City, California, but soon after graduating high school Les was drafted into the Army due to missing too many National Guard meetings over that summer, as he rode his Triumph motorcycle with a buddy down the California coast. In the Army, Les became an expert marksman and was honored for his skills and ultimately ended up serving in Hokkaido, Japan, decoding Russian communications.
Upon leaving the Army at the end of his service, he returned home to Grass Valley, CA where he got a job at the local bowling alley as a bartender. This allowed him to bowl as much as he wanted, in between customers, and where he happened to catch the eye of the young woman he would ultimately marry who was there bowling with her aunt and uncle. She thought he was cute, but must have a terrible drinking problem because he kept running back to the bar after he would throw a couple of balls. Les eventually won the heart of Nancy Christman and they married October 8, 1961. Les and Nancy were blessed a couple of years later with two children, a son, Terrance Scott Evans born in 1963 and a daughter, Julie Lynn Evans Johnston born in 1966.
In search of a steady job and a better livelihood for his family, Les moved the family to Susanville, CA in November 1966 and went to work for the Lassen County Agriculture Department. Within a short period of time, the current Agricultural Commissioner took a job in another county and Les stepped in, taking the classes needed to become the Agricultural Commissioner, Sealer of Weights & Measures for the County of Lassen for the next 15 years. In April of 1985, Les lost his wife Nancy to cancer and a year later retired from the county, but continued to work in other endeavors farming strawberry plants and certified seed garlic. He also enjoyed sailing, riding motorcycles, and occasionally flying his airplane, but mostly he enjoyed hanging out at the airport as one of the local “airport bums”. Les also enjoyed spending as much time as possible with his two grandchildren, Shelby and Trevor, as they grew up, and loved showing them all the things he loved – riding bikes, fishing, shooting cans, shooting acorns with a slingshot and teaching them to ride dirt bikes as well as rolling pennies and anything else he could think of. In the last six years, Les met the newest loves of his life – his two great grandsons Easton, 6, and Lawson, 2. Even while being in memory care over the last two years, Les was fortunate to still know his family and loved seeing them, pictures and videos of his granddaughter and grandson, but especially of his two great grandsons who just made him get the biggest smile and say “Aren’t they wonderful”.
Les was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy, father Robert Evans, mother Geraldine Stephens, and older sister Joyce Young. He is survived by his son Terry Evans (Tanja), daughter Julie Johnston, granddaughter Shelby Preble (Kris), grandson Trevor Johnston, great grandsons Easton and Lawson Preble, brother Robert Evans, sister Donna Evans, numerous nieces and nephews, and Carmelita Perez Garcia of San Carlos, MX.
Graveside services will be held Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 11:00 a.m at the Janesville Cemetery where he will be laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Nancy. A luncheon/reception for family and friends will follow at the EAA Hanger at the Susanville Airport where everyone can give a toast to Les and share stories they have of him.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) as Les suffered from vascular dementia caused by mini strokes, or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (https://givenow.LLS.org).
