In 1959 he married Nancy Ann Bell, who died in January at the age of 90. In addition to his son Dan, he is survived by two other sons, Mark and Bruce, and nine grandchildren.
Mr. Evans returned to his engineering studies from 1953 to 1965 and became a partner in a Seattle firm. But he also entered politics. He was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1956 and served four terms before running for governor in 1964. Nationally, it was a predominantly Democratic year, with Lyndon B. Johnson trouncing Barry Goldwater in the presidential race. But Mr. Evans defeated a two-term Democratic governor, Albert J. Rosellini, with 56 percent of the vote. He was reelected in 1968 and 1972, when he again defeated Mr. Rosellini.
In 1972, long before his serial killings became known, Ted Bundy, a University of Washington graduate, joined Mr. Evans’ campaign for a third term. For a time, he followed Mr. Evans’ opponent, Mr. Rosellini, around the state, recording his speeches and reporting back to Mr. Evans. It was only a minor scandal when Bundy’s past was revealed.
After leaving politics, Evans founded a Seattle-based political consulting firm and served on numerous corporate, cultural, civic and environmental boards. He served as a regent of the University of Washington from 1993 to 2005 and as chairman of the board in 1996-97. In 1999, the university’s School of Public Affairs was named in his honor.
The school highlighted his legacy in a statement posted online Saturday. “He believed deeply in civility, mutual respect and bipartisanship, and throughout his long career in public service, he refused to sacrifice his principles for expediency or personal advancement,” it said.
