Long-Time Brown Employee Constance F. Evrard Dies at 98
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Constance F. Evrard, 98, of Arnold St. Providence, died peacefully at the HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice Center on June 24th. The widow of the late John R. Evrard, MD, she leaves three daughters, Jamie Evrard of Vancouver, British Columbia, Wendy Lane of Needham, MA, and Julie Silcock of Dallas, TX, as well as a brother, Willard Van Ert of Medford, OR, three grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Born in Milwaukee, WI, she was the daughter of the late Bennett L and Meta (Miller) Van Ert. After graduating from Milwaukee Downer College she studied at Bryn Mawr College, and later received a Masters in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin. Her first job was upper school librarian at the University School for Milwaukee. In 1970 she and her husband moved to Providence where she began a long tenure at Brown University working first as reference librarian at the Rockefeller Library, then Associate Director Admission, followed by Associate Director of Alumni Relations, and Development Officer in major Gifts and Foundation Relations. Her final working years were spent writing for Vartan Gregorian, President of Brown. She enjoyed all of these jobs, and maintained close friendships in each workplace.
Her charitable activities included serving on the boards of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Community College of Rhode Island Foundation, and Planned Parenthood of R.I. She was an Associate of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and a Corporator of Women and Infants Hospital.
A child of the depression, Constance was careful with money but loved beautiful clothes, classy parties, and small cruises with friends. Although having children was certainly not part of her life plan she was a generous and loving mother who provided valuable help in difficult school writing assignments and was a crack tutor in vital household skills such as fudge making. Having attended college on scholarship she valued education greatly and helped several young people, whom she befriended, pay for their educations. She enjoyed a wonderful marriage, and following her husband’s death was fortunate to have several dear male friends, both gay and straight with whom she travelled, as well as many close women friends. Her lack of social contact during Covid was a cruel blow, no doubt hastening her untimely demise. Conscientious to the nth degree, when she arrived at Hulitar Hospice she was concerned about being late to a party.
The family is deeply grateful to all of the women who cared for Constance at home at the end of her life. These include her dear friend and housekeeper Kathy McDonald, St. Elizabeth’s Home Care nurse Nancy Musso and CNAs Nadia Lima, Miguelina Ramirez, and Vanessa Tordoya, as well as Concord Health Care’s Latoya Robinson, Eva Bermudes Nava, and Ramu Jimoh. Turned away from the house at first by this hitherto independent woman who would brook no strangers in her home, they all grew to know and love her for her strength, feistiness, and gratitude for all they did.
Burial will be private. Friends are invited to attend a memorial string quartet concert and celebration party in November, date and time to be announced later in this paper. Please contact [email protected] to receive information.
Memorial donations would be welcomed by The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, 667 Waterman Ave, East Providence, 02914 or the Community College of Rhode Island Foundation, Knight Campus, 400 East Avenue, Warwick, RI 02886.
