Evan D. Jennings III

Family-Placed Death Notice

JENNINGS, Evan D. III EVAN JENNINGS, III Evan Jennings, III, aged 65, died May 27th, 2010, after fighting a courageous bout with brain cancer. Mr. Jennings leaves behind a long trail of successes, friendships and stories that will continue to touch the lives of many people for years to come. Evan was a man who lived life to the fullest. His intellectual curiosity and business acumen were defining attributes that contributed to his success as a person and a businessman. Always a self-made man, Evan rose from an entry-level real estate agent to a position of national prominence within the multi-family housing industry. Born on May 30, 1944 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Evan moved to Orlando, Florida in 1959, where he graduated from Edgewater High School in 1962. He then attended Florida State University graduating in 1966 from the School of Business with a degree in marketing. After graduation Evan served in the Army Reserve for six years. During his time in the Reserves, Evan was recognized for his great sharp-shooting abilities. This skill served him well through the years as he was a great wing-shooter and hunter. Evan was the rare person who was able to harness and use his unique skills to make a difference as a husband, father, friend and member of our community. Evan's defining characteristics included honesty, integrity, a wonderful sense of humor and a great desire for learning and discovery. Evan was the type of person that was much more likely to spend his time watching the History and Discovery Channels than sports or other forms of television entertainment. He and his beloved wife, Pam, shared a love for travel and especially cherished their trip to Africa in August 2008. They created many memories with their friends in Cabo San Lucas Mexico where they traveled often. In Cabo Evan was able to enjoy his life long love of fishing, often having huge catches of marlin, dorado and tuna. Despite Evan's love of travel, the two places he loved best were right here in Georgia. Evan and Pam raised their three children at their home in Vinings. Evan was very content to live and entertain in their home in Atlanta, but he never turned down the chance to make the short drive up to Lake Burton whenever the opportunity presented itself. Evan felt a special kinship with the North Georgia Mountains. He repeatedly stated that some of his warmest memories relate to sunset cruises on Lake Burton with Pam and their loving and supportive set of Lake Burton friends. One of Evan's favorite past times was fly-fishing for huge rainbow trout in the Soque River in North Georgia. He was a skilled angler who always released his trophy catch unharmed. Before he died, Evan told one of his close friends that he was looking forward to finding the greatest fishing hole in heaven. Evan truly loved nature and felt totally at home in the outdoors. Always charming and easy to be around - Evan will be missed by all who knew him. Evan's first sales position was in Atlanta with Shell Oil Company. Subsequently he worked with Zerox and Baxter Travenol. In 1974, Evan obtained his real estate license and began working with Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate. He specialized in the marketing and sales of multi-family properties. Evan continued his real estate career with Merrill Lynch where he launched their first multi-family division. From there, he moved to the Johnstown American Commercial Real Estate Services Company before co-founding his first company, The Apartment Group, Inc. in 1996. At The Apartment Group, Evan's entrepreneurial skills were honed and the company was the first to specialize exclusively in the sale of multi-family housing opportunities on the East Coast of the United States. Evan's leadership in the multi-family industry has been recognized for over thirty years. He was a member of the Atlanta Apartment Association, the National Apartment Association, the Urban Land Institute, the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors and the National Multi-Housing Counsel. Evan served as Board Member of the FSU Business School of Real Estate, endowing the Evan Jennings Speakers Series in Real Estate. In Atlanta Evan served as a Director of the Link Counseling Center and St. Anne's School. Evan's honesty, easy smile, sense of humor and keen mind will forever remain an impermeable memory etched on the minds of his many friends and family members. Evan never lost his willingness to help others. Whether he was dressing up as a bunny on Easter to visit children at Egleston Hospital, serving at a soup kitchen or hand delivering presents to the homeless at Christmas, Evan was not a braggart. He was a man who truly appreciated the good fortune that he enjoyed for his 65 years here on earth. Evan's departure from this earth is a loss for all - most notably, it is a loss for his best friend, Pam Jennings, married since 1983. They were devoted to each other throughout their marriage and Pam's unending support of Evan during his bout with cancer was a great source of comfort and support to him. Evan loved his three children very much and provided love, support and unwavering devotion to Trevor, Lauren and Evan. His life will remain with them as an example of a life well-lived. Evan always maintained that he felt like of one the luckiest men in the world. He lived in a time and era when a person could achieve success for himself and his family through a combination of hard work, guts and vision. Evan personified that formula for success and he created a good life for his family. Evan found peace during the difficult last stages of his life through support from friends, family and prayer. Darby and Riley, Evan's faithful dogs provided constant comfort in his last days. In addition to his wife and children, Evan is survived by three brothers and a sister. The family would like to express their appreciation to assistants Richard Manus and John Wallace who provided Evan with gentle care and patience. Also appreciation is expressed to Dr. Gil Watson who befriended Evan in the last few months and who provided spiritual support and loving kindness. A Memorial Service and celebration of Evan's life will be held Tuesday, June 1st at 1:00 p.m. at Northside United Methodist Church with visitation following the service in the Faith and Arts Center. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Evan's name to Hospice Atlanta, 1244 Park Vista Drive, Atlanta, GA 30319 or the Orr Brain Tumor Navigator Fund, c/o Piedmont Hospital, 1968 Peachtree Road, NW, Atlanta, GA 30309.