04/21/2026
In Loving Memory
John Michaelson Evans, Jr.
April 13, 1949 – April 18, 2026
BLOSSVALE, NY - John Michaelson Evans, Jr., passed away suddenly while working on his property on April 18, 2026.
John was born in Rome, NY on April 13, 1949, the son of John M. Evans and Cecilia Rose Morse Evans. He will be remembered as a good son to his parents, a protective and loving brother to his five sisters Midge, Linda, Mary, Sally and Susie, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, and a caring and thoughtful friend and neighbor.
John grew up in Rome. As a boy, he once went hand-over-hand under the old barge canal bridge. When his mother found out, she spanked him so hard that she had to wear an ace bandage on her wrist for several weeks! He was proud to have played football and wrestled for RFA, where he was voted co-captain of the wrestling team in his Senior year.
Because of a strong love for his country, John joined the Army in 1969 when he was 20. He became a paratrooper; a member of the 82nd Airborne, the 173rd Airborne, and the 101st Airborne. John spent a year in Vietnam from August 1970 to August 1971 as an armored reconnaissance specialist. He received an honorable discharge in 1974 at the rank of Sargent.
While serving as a recruiter for the 101st Airborne in Nashville, Tennessee, he met a girl working at the YMCA and said to a friend, “I’d like to marry her!” And that he did-John and Patricia Emma Gutherz Estrella were married on March 1, 1974. Patricia had four children from a previous marriage, Mike, Matt, Charlie and Darcy. John would often remind his family that “I didn’t marry your mother; I married all of you!”
A car salesman for 10 years at Sid Stockholm Ford, John was salesman of the year for 6 of those years. One year he was a Master Sales Counselor. In 1984 he joined the N.Y. State Department of Corrections, where he worked at Oneida Correction Facility in charge of the Special Housing Unit. He was also a member of the Correctional Emergency Response Team. Most of his inmates would say they appreciated his “firm, fair, and consistent” treatment.
John enjoyed caring for his home and took pride in keeping his lawn and cars in near perfect condition. We all got so tired of hearing “Good, better, best, never let it rest, ‘til the good get better and the better get best!” but it was truly something he lived by and came to be appreciated.
A very friendly man, John liked people and never met a stranger. He loved a lively game of pitch and was well known to bid four without the jack! Spending time with his family and friends was his greatest joy. John was a firm believer in his Roman Catholic faith.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia and his four children: Michael Estrella, Matthew (Amie) Estrella, Charles (Diane) Estrella and Darcy (Michael) Maciolek; ten grandchildren: Iris, Samatha, and Noah Estrella; Ariel (Coy) Zbytovsky, Natalie and Jack Estrella; Madeline and Donato Estrella, and Annabel and Michael Maciolek; two great-grandchildren: Robert and Laura Gill, with one more due in May. John also leaves behind four sisters and his beloved nieces and nephews: Linda Anair and her children Richard (Suzanne) and Shannon Anair; Mary McNeil and her children Kelly (Dan) Hildenbrandt, Larry, and John McNeil; Sara (Richard) Arthur and her children Conse, Joseph (Susie), and Sara Vecchio, Kristy Keesler, Terry Arthur, Suzanne Gralke, Michael Arthur, and Sharyl (Darren) Vukovic; Susan (Douglas) Johnson and her children Douglas, Job (Emily), and Rachael Johnson; and nieces Melony (Reno) Correia Longhitano and Michelle Correia. He was pre-deceased by his parents: John and Cecilia Evans, sisters Margaret “Midge” Norman and Sharon Evans, and brothers Eugene and Timothy Evans. He was also pre-deceased by his great niece Mila Rose Vukovic, great niece Mary McNeil, and his nephew Michael Correia.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 9168 Main Street Taberg, NY. Relatives and Friends are invited to Calling Hours from 3 – 6 p.m. on Monday, April 27, 2026, from LaRobardiere Funeral Home, 109 Main Street, Camden, NY.
Please share memories and condolences at https://www.larobardierefuneralhome.com/obituaries/John-Michaelson-Evans-Jr?obId=48187250