Thomas John Evans' Obituary
Thomas John Evans, 66, of Muskegon, Michigan passed on peacefully in the early morning of Sunday, April 15th, 2018. Tom, as he was known to family and friends, was preceded in death by his father Tom and his brother Bill. He is survived by his wife of 37 years—the love of his life—Isabel, his sons Ben and Blake (wife Marissa), his mother Joan, and his brother Jim (wife Kim). The son of an athletic director and a school principal (Thomas and Joan Evans, respectively) Tom was born and raised in Walled Lake, MI where he played varsity football, baseball, and basketball for Walled Lake High School. Upon graduating, Tom attended Central Michigan University where he earned his teaching degree. Tom subsequently returned to Southeast Michigan and began teaching and coaching football at Farmington Hills Harrison high school with his friend, mentor and 13-time state champion, coach John Herrington. After two years Tom left his job at the high school and drove to Florida to pursue his ambition of golfing professionally. While in Florida, he lived frugally playing one season on mini-tours throughout the state before returning to Michigan to become the assistant golf pro at Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield. Shortly thereafter, Tom enrolled in Lansing’s Thomas Cooley Law School where he met his future wife and began to discover his true calling as an attorney. While at Cooley, Tom clerked for another of his mentors, now retired Federal District Judge Robert Holmes Bell. He received the 2nd highest score on the Michigan Bar exam in his graduating class, and after a short stint working for Dart Oil and Gas in Mount Pleasant, moved with his wife to Muskegon where he joined the law firm Libner, Van Leuven, and Kortering as a personal injury attorney. A member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Michigan Association for Justice, and the American Bar Association, Tom was soon made partner at the firm that, over the course of the next 30 years, became Evans and Portenga. Attorney Roy Portenga, Tom’s dear friend, and last practicing partner, said this of Tom’s law career: “Tom had a sterling reputation as a highly ethical attorney who zealously fought for his clients, but with great civility. His Martindale-Hubbell rating was “AV Preeminent” which meant his peers ranked him at the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards. Indeed, in 2011, the State Bar of MI honored Tom with the “Respected Advocate Award”, a statewide award given to only one plaintiff’s lawyer and one defense lawyer a year. The award is given in recognition of an individual’s history of successful representation of clients while adhering to the highest standard of ethics and civility.
Tom was beloved by fellow partners at his firm. He worked extremely hard, could always be counted on for assistance, and had a fabulous, dry sense of humor that brightened many days. Moreover, Tom always took extra time with his clients and they very much appreciated his help and care.”
When not practicing law, Tom’s greatest passions were watching his sons play sports—he never missed a game—playing golf, and spending time at the cottage he had built in Michigan’s Les Cheneaux islands. A family man in the truest sense of the word, Tom loved being with his wife and two boys, and was never more happy than when he was watching Michigan State football with the three of them. Tom was, and continues to be, loved and respected deeply by his family, all of whom were heartbroken when he was diagnosed with a progressive and fatal mitochondrial disorder in the summer of 2012. With grace, dignity, and great courage Tom faced his illness, remaining active and refusing to succumb to it almost to the very end.
Tom’s family would like to thank all of the family and friends who showed us love during what was the greatest and most harrowing challenge we’ve ever encountered. Your support made all the difference in the world. As we continue our respective journeys, Tom will be profoundly missed. If ever there was a good man, he was it.
A funeral service will be held to honor Tom at 4pm on Saturday, April 28th at Temple Methodist church (2500 Jefferson St., Muskegon Heights) with a gathering at the Muskegon Country Club to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the newly established Tom Evans Memorial Athletic Fund, which can be accessed by visiting the Community Foundation for Muskegon County’s website (cffmc.org).
What’s your fondest memory of Thomas ?
What’s a lesson you learned from Thomas ?
Share a story where Thomas 's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Thomas you’ll never forget.
How did Thomas make you smile?