Matthew Evans
Matthew “Matt” Evans was the oldest son of Mark and Gloria Evans. He excelled in school and was a 1998 honor graduate from Lake City High School. With a gift for computer technology, he was working for a local computer company before graduation. He graduated from Florence Darlington Technical College and began the course of study for Cisco Systems Engineering. He obtained many industry certifications, including one as an Instructor for Cisco Systems. He spent the majority of his career working in Florence County School District 3 as a computer technician and network engineer. Matt made many friends through his humor, which was quick, sarcastic and perfectly timed! He was also known for his polite manner and acts of kindness. His favorite phrase was “How you treat people matters!”
Sadly, Matt’s humor hid a long term battle with mental illness. He was eventually diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder 2 and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He became alcohol dependent and while he fought to overcome these problems, he succumbed to his illness, his life ending on September 17, 2020. We miss him and everything he was, but we do not despair. His favorite scripture was Psalm 91, which he memorized. He asked that we “find solace in Psalm 91”. We honor his memory and know he would be pleased that this foundation and center will help others fighting to remain here awhile longer.
Mark Evans
Rev. Dr. Mark Evans graduated from high school at Holmes Academy in Greenville, SC, and went on to earn degrees from USC Coastal Carolina (now Coastal Carolina University), Francis Marion University, and a doctorate from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. He was a Licensed Professional Counselor and held various certifications in the field of education in the areas of teaching, counseling and administration. He served as the Director of Alternative Education in Florence County School District Three until his retirement from the district in 2018. In addition to his work in the field of education, Mark was an ordained minister in the SC Conference of the IPHC. He served as the Pastoral Care Counselor for the Conference and was instrumental in establishing the Pastoral Care Counselor Program for the International Pentecostal Holiness Church Denomination. He was a man of great generosity, wisdom, integrity, intelligence, and kindness and was highly respected in the community at large. He was a true and noble man of character and courage. Between 2016 and 2021 he was diagnosed with two different forms of cancer, which he met with his usual calm. In 2018, after experiencing unusual visual perception problems, he was diagnosed with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA). This condition is a rare variant of Alzheimer’s and has no cure or treatment. Even with this disease, Mark continued to help others and lived in the same calm assurance that exemplified his entire life. He remained a faithful witness to the peace of Christ and kept his humor until the end. He passed away peacefully with family members at his bedside on February 25, 2023. He left behind, his wife of 45 years, Gloria, sons and daughters -in- law, Joshua (Lisa) and Daniel (Betsy) and grandchildren, Reese, Weston, Mia, Zoe and Sawyer. We miss his wisdom, his calming presence and laughter. We know that this center and its purpose would please him, for he lived to help others.