Bill Evans

Billy Dee Evans, age 89 years of Niles, Michigan; father, grandfather, hard worker, honorable veteran, devout Christian, and friend to many died peacefully at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, July 10, 2026 at West Woods of Niles. Although residing at West Woods for only a few months, the staff there greeted his family with affectionate comments of “Mr. Bill”, and “He was my buddy”, evidence of Bill’s cheerful, kind, hand-shaking presence in every circumstance.

He was born on December 28, 1936, and everyone who talked to Bill more than once, knew that he was born and raised in Hayti “HEY tie”, Missouri. He was one of nine children born to Elmer D. and Gaynelle (Cornett) Evans, was proud to have hand-picked cotton as a child, and attended school until 8th grade, when he was enlisted to provide care for his sister who had severe health issues. He came to Niles with some of his family when he was 16 years old, to seek a better life, and much later earned his high school diploma as an adult from Niles High School.

In Niles, Bill was first employed at the former A&P Grocery Store downtown on Second Street. In 1954, he enlisted with the Michigan Army National Guard, serving in the 2nd Tank Battalion, 246th Armored Division at its home base in Niles. He was assigned to kitchen duty, and was proud to greet and feed his fellow soldiers three-times-a-day. After serving two 3-year tours of duty, he was Honorably Discharged to the U.S.Army Reserve, where he served another two years of obligation.

Bill was then employed at the former United Dairy on Ninth Street where his gregarious personality suited him perfectly to enter new neighborhoods and sign-up new customers, creating entire new routes. In 1971, he began a career at the former Niles plant of National-Standard, where he became a production supervisor, which allowed him to meet – with a sturdy handshake – most of the folks who worked in the plant on all of the shifts. He retired in 2001, after 30 years of service, but never one to remain idle, he began part-time employment at the Halbritter Funeral Home, and its successor, Halbritter-Wickens, greeting guests at the front door for another 20 years.

Bill was a long-time member of the First Missionary Church in Niles, now Summit Church, serving in many capacities including as an usher. He was well-known for the appearance of his yard in Oak Manor, perfect edges to the lawn in the summer, and perfect edges to the cleared snow in the winter. He also carried a lawn mower in his pickup truck to maintain the lawns of several friends around Niles. He added an in-ground swimming pool to the backyard, and filled the basement with recreational items so that his daughter could entertain friends, some of whom became so comfortable there as to let themselves in, even if Anita wasn’t home yet!

Many children learned how to swim in that pool, and that pool and basement became a gathering place for grandchildren and their friends, and then for the great-grandchildren. Bill was always a sports fan, bowling on area leagues when younger, cheering for the University of Notre Dame, and was a great fan of the Detroit Tigers baseball team, watching faithfully the televised games, always accompanied by popcorn.

As a young grocer, he found the lunch counter next-door at Dean’s Drug Store quite convenient, and found the equally young soda-jerk, Barb quite attractive. His visits to Dean’s became more frequent, and eventually, on Barb’s birthday, March 3, 1956 he married the former Barbara Ann Noecker at the Assembly of God Church at 13th & East Main Streets (now Michiana Christian Embassy, and now further east on Main).

Bill and Barb lived in their home on Spansail Street most of their marriage, and spent several winters in Fruitland, Florida. They celebrated last year the remarkable Sixty-ninth anniversary of their wedding prior to Barb’s death on November 22, 2025. He was also preceded in death by his parents, and by several siblings including Martha who died at 15 years old, Lorene Walker, Walter Evans, and Donna Hess; and by Barb’s parents and siblings, including her brother, Roger Noecker, who was Bill’s roommate at West Woods, and died just 20 days ago, on June 20, 2026.

Surviving family includes his daughter, Anita (& Orrin) Belcher of Niles; grandsons, Matthew (& Cindi) Belcher, and Jeremy (& Rhonda) Belcher; great-grandchildren, Truen, Marissa, Jedrek, the twins Ezra and Elise, and Ivan; Bill’s siblings, Audrey Johnson of Saint Joseph, Michigan, Wanda McGath of San Antonio, Texas, Barbara Hoffman of Saint Joseph, and Michael Evans of Mishawaka, Indiana; several nieces and nephews; and an amazing circle of friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

The funeral service for Bill Evans will be at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at Summit Church, 1700 West River Road in Niles with Lead Pastor Dan Miller of the church officiating. The service will conclude and move outside for the Veteran’s Flag Presentation and “Taps” by the United States Army Honor Guard. The family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday at Summit, from 9:00 a.m. until 10:55 a.m.

Committal Services will be private, on Friday, at Mission Hills. Contributions in memory of Bill may be made to Summit Church, 1700 West River Road, Niles, Michigan, 49120; https://summitniles.com/home. Arrangements were completed at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Memories and condolences may be left at:

www.halbritterwickens.com

The Bible suggests that a human life might be as much as 80 years, but when Bill’s years of employment are added-up – including those youthful, cotton-picking years – he worked nearly 80 years, and found joy in doing so. He also found joy in greeting friends, and moreso in greeting his next new friend. More joy was found – more than Hayti – in his family, those great-grands, grandsons and their wives, his daughter Anita and her Orrin, and above all, Barb. All of this evidence of following the command to love people, and love God . . . to Whom Bill’s last words to Anita were: “I’m going to fly away”.