Genevieve E. Evanoff

Genevieve E. Evanoff East Lansing Genevieve E. Evanoff, age 95, of East Lansing, MI, died Friday, June 5, 2009. Genevieve was born August 28, 1913, in Valparaiso, IN, the daughter of Walter and Beatrice (Brickwood) Williamson. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 65 years, Michael W. Evanoff, who died on June 3, 1990. Surviving are her daughter, Connie (David) Knaggs of East Lansing; her son, Michael B. (Ani Samad) of Singapore; 2 grandchildren, Michael (Tessa) Knaggs and Jennifer Knaggs; 2 great-grandchildren, Travis David Knaggs and Elizabeth Genevieve Knaggs; and multiple beloved nieces and nephews, and dear friends scattered across the country. In lieu of flowers Mrs. Evanoff requested memorial contributions to the Myocitis Association, Attn: Development Department, 1233 20th St., Suite 402, Washington, DC 20036 (myocitis.org). Funeral services will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church, 800 Abbot Rd., East Lansing, on Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 4 pm. After her birth in Indiana, Genevieve lived in Cheboygan, MI where her father provided pastoral services to the Episcopal churches in Cheboygan and on Mackinac Island. The family later moved to Detroit and spent many summers with the Brickwood family in Chicago. Genevieve thrived on the cultural activities of both cities and attributed her lifelong interest in literature, theatre, art and music to the influences of these two great cities. Mrs. Evanoff's, internal grace and kindness, her external beauty, her extraordinary intellect and memory, and her driving curiosity about the worlds of arts, humanities, politics, and social activism created a presence that magnetically attracted all who met her. Genevieve's curiosity led her early to a life of world travel. After graduating in 1934 with Phi Beta Kappa honors from the University of Michigan and during the early part of her career as a teacher in Flint, MI, she spent time in the USSR through a teacher exchange. She and her dear friend, Flint artist Shirley Foster traveled through pre-war Europe. She refused to get off the train while passing through Germany, saying: "Anyone that could read knew what the Nazi regime was like." Upon receiving her Masters of Social Work degree in 1959, Genevieve traveled extensively in Great Britain, France, Yugoslavia (with her husband Michael) and in 1978 she went to China with the Michigan International Council to study the Chinese Social Work system. Genevieve continued to travel through her 80's, studying cultures in Asia and Latin America as well as returning many times to Great Britain. Genevieve also had an intense interest in liberal politics and social change. As a young teacher, she assisted in founding the Flint teacher's union, acting as that union's representative to the formative meetings of the auto workers union. She valued the mission of social work, instructing and supervising countless social work students as she worked at the Family Service Agency in Flint and presenting her work at international conferences on behavioral science. Amazingly, in spite of her wide ranging interests, Genevieve's children and grandchildren always "came first". She was fully engaged in all their pursuits, a delighted and supportive presence who gave her love and guidance without reserve. While physically disabled in her later years, she continued to embrace her family and to relish the stimulation their interest and travels provided her. Genevieve offered this same caring attention and grace to the loving care givers of her last years: Gerry Butterman, Colleen Emanuel, Karen Alward, and Mary Brown, and all the staff at Whitehills Healthcare Center. Even as we mourn the loss of Genevieve, we celebrate her life as one of grace and courage that will forever inspire and comfort all who knew her. The family is being served by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, East Lansing.