Mr. Evans Haines Harris

Evans Haines Harris, retired businessman and avid golfer, died Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at his home in Seneca, South Carolina surrounded by family. He was 92 years old. Evans was born in 1932 in Johnstown, New York to parents Ruth (Herrick) and Moses Harris. He and his twin brother, Benny, were the youngest of eight, and had a truly idyllic childhood. Growing up in a small Adirondack town on the banks of the Mohawk River, the twins were rarely inside and often in trouble. They played every possible sport, spent the summers in rustic camps in the finger lakes, and caused their older sisters no small amount of angst. Benefiting from the widespread access to antibiotics after World War II, penicillin saved Evans’ life after he contracted a severe case of bacterial pneumonia in 1946. That illness kept him out of school for a significant amount of time, delaying his high school graduation by a year. After high school, Evans attended Syracuse University, but his student days were interrupted in 1952 when he was drafted into the Army and sent to Korea. There he served as a forward artillery observer in the infantry. After being discharged from the Army in December of 1954, Evans bounced around working jobs in restaurants, manufacturing and sales in Cape Cod, Florida, Boston, and New York. A job with Empire Brush Company took him to the Washington DC area, where he lived with his high school friend, Chuck Brunetto, in Annapolis, MD. It was there, on a blind date in September 1960, that he met the woman who would become his life partner, Patricia Farson. They were soon engaged, and were married on July 1, 1961. Evans’ work immediately took them to Kansas, where they spent the next 37 years. Soon after relocating, Evans decided to stop working for others and start working for himself. As a manufacturer’s representative covering a four-state area, Evans was often on the road. After 7 years in Kansas City, Evans and Pat decided they wanted their kids to grow up in a small town, so at the urging of friends they moved to Abilene, Kansas in 1969. Surrounded by good friends, Evans and Pat had a strong social circle enjoying golf, cooking, travel, and K-State football tailgates, among many other things. Wanting to both expand his business, and reduce his time on the road, in the early 1970s Evans went into business with Ted Lotz, his great friend as well as his business partner. Harris and Lotz continued for a while after Ted’s death in 1986, but Evans chose to retire in 1988. After Pat retired from the public school system in 1998, they decided to relocate to be closer to family, and further from winter. After spending 6 months exploring the Southeastern US, they settled in their second home, Seneca, South Carolina. Living in Seneca, Evans enjoyed golfing, hiking, boating, fishing, traveling, and exploring the outdoors with Pat. They again built a strong circle of friends, with whom they shared their many interests. With time on his hands, Evans volunteered many, many hours with Friends of Lake Keowee, Habitat for Humanity, and the Beacon Shores community. Evans shared his passion for golf with his son and grandsons, and remained close with his siblings, supporting them through life’s ups and downs. Evans was the last of the Harris children. He is survived by his wife: Pat; his children: Lynne (Michael Donnellan) and Allen; his grandsons: Nate (Jenn Jadick), Alex (Fouad Berry), and Thomas; his great-granddaughter: Lexie; his “favorite niece”: Linda; and other nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be held at 11a.m. on Saturday, September 28 at Seneca Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to: Habitat for Humanity at 130 Bountyland Rd., Seneca, SC, 29672; Friends of Lake Keowee, 1209 Stamp Creek Rd. # A, Salem, SC 29676; Seneca Presbyterian Church, 115 W South 1st St., Seneca, SC 29678; or Interim Hospice Services, 100 Verdae Blvd., Greenville, SC 29607.

Mr. Evans Haines Harris

July 24, 1932 - August 21, 2024