Sarah Sloan Evans

Sarah Sloan Evans of Duxbury, MA, passed away on February 8, 2026 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. She was 89.

Sarah was born December 14, 1936 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Nora (Bossert) and Ambrose V. Sloan, a family physician. She spent her youth in Wilkes-Barre and Glen Summit, PA, and, after a brief stint in parochial school, became a day student at Wyoming Seminary in nearby Kingston, PA. A friend convinced her to transfer to the Northampton School for Girls following the untimely death of her father, whom she adored, when she was 15. After graduating in 1954, Sarah earned a B.A. from Wells College in 1959 spending her junior year abroad at the University of Edinburgh. Following a brief stint working in New York City, she joined her mother in Norfolk, VA where she became a social worker. It was there that she met her husband of 65 years, Arthur B. Evans, then serving in the U.S. Navy. After moving to Duxbury in 1967, Sarah pursued a M.S.W. degree from Simmons College and worked as a psychiatric social worker at the Mayflower Mental Health Center in Plymouth. With an eye for detail and an insistence on precision, she transitioned into book publishing and did freelance writing, copy-editing, and production work for various firms. She later brought these skills to bear on her passion for historic homes, evident in the careful preservation of her 1850s house in Duxbury. While living with Arthur in Detroit in the 1990's, Sarah was the principal author of the nomination for Lafayette Park, a mixed-use urban development project designed by Meis van der Rohe, to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When she and Arthur returned to Duxbury in 2002, she researched, wrote, and published a local history book titled Ashdod: The Other Side of Duxbury in 2016.

Sarah had a passion for travel, and she and Arthur visited many countries in Europe as well as Israel, Australia, and New Zealand. She also enjoyed swimming, gardening and especially doing the daily NYT crossword puzzle. She would complete the Sunday puzzle in ink and in record time, unmatched by any who dared to challenge her. Sarah and Arthur's home in Ashdod has always been known fondly as "Sarah's Folly," the family's favorite place for gatherings of all kinds: dinners large and small, political rallies, garden parties, graduations, and weddings to name a few. Sarah is remembered by all – her family, her friends and their children, and the many friends of her daughters and their children – for the generosity, gracefulness, and welcoming spirit she brought to these events.

Sarah is survived by her husband, Arthur, of Duxbury, her three daughters Catherine Evans (Lee Andrews) of Sydney, Australia, Gwen Evans-Sneeden (Ralph) of Exeter, NH, Deirdre Caldarone (Christopher) of Duxbury and New York City, a sister, Nancy Sarkesian of Auburn, CA, and eight adored grandchildren: Jacob Sneeden (Jenny), Madeleine Page (Tyler), Lindsay Caldarone (Jesse Evensky), Evan Andrews (Lauren Bauer), Sam Caldarone, Calan Andrews, Eliza Sneeden (Jamie Drayton), and Kate Caldarone, as well as four great grandchildren (Jackson and Arthur Sneeden, Owen Page, and Lionel Evensky), and nine nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her sister, Elaine Matter, her brother, James Sloan, and her cousin and fellow Duxburyite, Becky Tonrey.

The family wishes to extend its gratitude to the staff at South Shore Hospital and Pat Roche Hospice Home for their support and attentive care. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to either institution, or to Wyoming Seminary. A Celebration of Life in Sarah's honor will be held this summer