Tanya Collins Evans

Tanya Lee Evans – A traffic accident on the New York Thruway near Herkimer, New York on July 14, 2013 claimed the life of Tanya Lee Evans of Annandale, Virginia. She was born May 30, 1946 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Elmer Arthur Collins and Hazel Kitchen Collins. Her family soon moved to Logan, Utah where she attended Logan City Schools and graduated from Logan High School in 1964. After studying at both Utah State University and Brigham Young University she received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Utah State University in 1968. She taught third grade for a year in Upland, California and then married Joseph David (J. D.) Evans in the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 12, 1969. After an additional year of teaching third grade in Preston City, Idaho she and her husband made their home in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County, Virginia near Washington, DC., where she became the mother of six children. She served on the PTA board of Westlawn Elementary School for ten years, including a term as President, and volunteered at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for ten more years. She also worked for several years for Fairfax County Public Schools as a Teacher's Aide at Pine Spring Elementary School and as a substitute teacher. An active member of the Annandale Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she served the church in numerous callings including Primary Teacher, Primary President, Stake Primary Counselor, Relief Society Spiritual Living Teacher, Young Women Advisor, Young Women President, Stake Young Women President, Ward Missionary, Temple Ordinance Worker, Ward Activities Chairman and Family History Consultant. As Stake Young Women President she initiated and helped to organize the Annandale Stake's first Handcart Trek Youth Conference and the Annandale Stake's first Youth Conference at Church History sites in Kirtland, both of which have now become traditional events. She is the author of a history of her mother, Hazel Kitchen Collins, and of a hopefully soon to be published Family History of the Kitchen Family of Buckingham County, Virginia from whence her great grandfather, John Abraham Kitchen, and grandfather Thomas Lee Kitchen, emigrated to Utah after joining the "Mormon" church in the late 1800's. Her greatest delight was in fostering the development of the rising generation of children with subsidized music and/or dance lessons, tea parties which emphasized the learning of proper etiquette as well as having fun, backyard campfires for roasting hotdogs and making smores, and expeditions such as a whale watching cruise or a trip to a historical site like Mount Vernon or Colonial Williamsburg. And when her own grandchildren were too far away to participate, she happily adopted children of other families who learned to love "Nana" as she did her best to spoil them. She is survived by her husband of 44 years, six children and their spouses: R. Kent and Jennifer Lyn Hodson of Houston, Texas; David Keith and Emily Jennings Evans of Provo, Utah; Michael Joseph and Caralee Lewis Evans of Marlborough, Massachusetts; Jacob Lee and Katie Snyder Evans of Leander, Texas; Hyrum and Cynthia Elizabeth Mills of North Salt Lake, Utah and Karl David and Natalie Susan Mortensen of Cicero, New York., twenty-four grandchildren, her mother, Hazel Collins of Logan, Utah, three sisters, Sandra (Mrs. James) Stoddard of Ogden, Utah; Marsha (Mrs. Robert) Kraus of River Heights, Utah and and Laura (Mrs. Buff) Gardner of North Logan, Utah as well as countless friends, all of whom will remember her fondly and miss her greatly. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 12:00 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3900 Howard Street, Annandale, Virginia 22003. Prior to the services, the family will receive visitors at the church from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Interment will be in Fairfax Memorial Park in Fairfax, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Hodson Family Car Crash Medical Expense Fund which can be accessed on the internet at www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/hodson-car-crash-expenses/72627.

Tanya Collins Evans

May 30, 1946 - July 14, 2013