Bruce Evans

Bruce Evans, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on May 28, 2026, at the age of 88. Born on April 12, 1938, in Phoenix, Arizona, Bruce was a resident of Arizona for much of his life.

Bruce's early years were shaped by his family's Five and Dime store in downtown Glendale. He often shared fond memories of summer adventures with his father, traveling to trading posts to gather goods for their store. His youthful days also included delivering newspapers, a job he took pride in, he even folded the papers to deliver right on the steps of the State Capital building. He was a proud graduate of West High School in Phoenix and Arizona State University (ASU), where he studied Electronics Engineering. Bruce often reminisced about being part of the inaugural graduating class from ASU after its renaming from Arizona State College.

During his college years, Bruce married Charlene Wright. Following his graduation, they moved to Seattle, Washington, where Bruce began his distinguished career at the Boeing Company. Their journey continued to Denver, Colorado, before they eventually settled in Southern California. Bruce enjoyed a successful career spanning over 30 years in the aerospace industry, contributing to significant missions such as the Viking Mars lander, numerous Apollo missions, various satellites and even usage of the adhesive developed for the Space Shuttle tiles.

Bruce and Charlene were blessed with two children. Though they later divorced, they maintained a lifelong friendship. Bruce found love again and married Sandy Green. Together, Bruce and Sandy retired to Prescott, Arizona, where they built a home and embraced the joys of retirement. In his final two years, Bruce resided in a memory care facility in Chandler, AZ, where he was affectionately known by his care team as a "ray of sunshine," consistently spreading joy and positivity. His nickname was "Rocket Man" due to his career in the Aerospace Industry.

Bruce possessed a wonderful sense of humor and a deep love for storytelling, baseball and history, especially southwestern history. His engineering spirit was evident in his lifelong curiosity for how things worked and his knack for fixing them. In his younger years, he delighted in boating, camping, and golfing.

Bruce was deeply loved by his children and family and will be profoundly missed. He is survived by his children, Cathy Ordenes (Maurice) and Greg Evans (Sanoma); his step-children, Lisa, David (Jessica), and Daniel (Vallery); his beloved grandchildren, Erica, Matthew and Krystal; five step-grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. He is also survived by his wife, Sandy Evans. Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Sara Evans, and his brother, Justin Evans. His first wife, Charlene Evans, passed away within two weeks of Bruce.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Wise Choice Funeral Home, 9702 E. Apache Trail, Mesa, AZ 85207, on Saturday, August 29, 2026. A family gathering and greeting will take place from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, followed by the service from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.