Roy Tripp “Sandy” Evans III was born on September 19, 1935 at Petersburg, VA to Roy Tripp “Bus” Evans Jr. ’33 and his wife, Virginia. Bus was serving at Fort Adams, RI at the time; Petersburg was Virginia’s hometown. Sandy’s early years were very typical for an Army brat. He lived at Schofield Barracks, HI; Fort Benning, GA; Tuscaloosa, AL; Washington, DC; Petersburg; Germany (arriving on the second boatload of American dependents after the war); Chevy Chase, MD; and Fort Lee, VA.
Sandy graduated from Petersburg High School in 1953. He was a starter on both the football and basketball teams. He then attended Braden’s (a West Point prep school in Highland Falls, NY) and entered West Point in the summer of 1954.
Sandy excelled as a cadet. He played football (“B” Squad and “C” Squad) all four years, and he was a regimental intramural wrestling champion. He had the experience of playing against Roosevelt Grier (6-foot, 5-inches and 284 pounds), a pro football player who was drafted into the Army and played on the Fort Dix football team. Sandy was a cadet lieutenant, respected by his classmates and known by his company C-1 classmates as someone who worked and played hard—a real friend. He mentored his two brothers: Alexander Hamilton “Ham” Evans and John Gradwell “Jack” Evans, who were plebes during Sandy’s First Class year.
Upon graduation in 1958, Sandy completed the Infantry Officer Basic Course, as well as Airborne and Ranger schools. He went to Germany and spent three years there in the 3rd Armored Division. He transferred from Infantry to Quartermaster and, in 1961, attended the Quartermaster Officer Advanced Course at Fort Lee, VA. It was during this posting that he met Jane Durham; they married on March 17, 1962.
The next duty station was Fort Bragg, NC, where Sandy commanded the 612th Quartermaster Aerial Delivery Company. The 612th provided all the parachute support for the 82nd Airborne Division. A daughter, Virginia “Jinx,” was born at Fort Bragg. From there, Sandy was off to Vietnam (as a volunteer), serving with the 5th Special Forces Group. His last six months in Vietnam was in command of a Special Forces A Team; he was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge for his service. When this Vietnam tour ended, Sandy departed from his A Team to Pleiku to return home. He was awakened to be told that his A Team replacement had been killed. Sandy had to return to the A Team until another replacement arrived. Jane and Jinx welcomed Janie to the family while living in Richmond, VA during Sandy’s Vietnam tour.
Graduate school at American University followed, with a master’s degree in business administration, leading to an assignment to the J-3, Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon for two years. In 1968, Roy Tripp Evans IV was born. In 1969, Sandy was selected to attend the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS. He was replaced in the Pentagon by younger brother Ham (did not have to change the desk name sign).
Vietnam called again (again as a volunteer), where Sandy commanded the 92nd Service Battalion at Cam Ranh Bay. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his service as commander. From 1971 to 1974, he was assigned to the Office of the Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Army in the Pentagon.
From there, a glorious three-year tour in Hawaii followed. While serving in the Headquarters of the Commander in Chief, Pacific, Sandy earned a second master’s degree (Master of Science in systems management), this from the University of Southern California. A one-year Pentagon tour in the Office of the Department of the Army Inspector General followed. Sandy retired from the Army in 1978 and immediately joined the technical staff of MITRE Corporation. In 1980, the family moved to Tampa, FL, where MITRE was providing technical support to the Joint Deployment Agency at MacDill Air Force Base. During that time, Sandy’s effort at MITRE was providing support to the Joint Deployment System (JDS); the program manager for the JDS was none other than brother Ham—small world!
In 1983, the family moved back to Alexandria, VA. Sandy retired from MITRE in 1993 and relocated to Richmond. Jane’s health deteriorated. Sandy was her principal caretaker for the last years of her life; she passed in December 1999.
On June 20, 2002, Sandy married Virginia Brent Hailes. They had a wonderful marriage of 20 years, traveling to visit friends and spending time “down the river.”
Sandy was a decorated combat veteran and an avid runner. He loved golf, reading and gardening. Above all, he loved his family and his country. A listener rather than a talker, a man of exceptional character, Sandy was “patient, brave and true.”
Sandy passed on April 8, 2021.
Sandy is survived by his wife Virginia; daughters Virginia Evans (Natalie Easterly) and Janie Evans; son Tripp Evans (Ed Cabral); stepchildren Brent Hailes (Catherine), Sarah Hailes Easley (Greg), and Roger Hailes Jr. (Natalie); and nine grandchildren.
— Family