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Official Obituary of

Mary Anne Evo

August 8, 1926 ~ February 8, 2022 (age 95) 95 Years Old

Mary Evo Obituary

Mary Anne Evo

August 8, 1926-

February 8, 2022

We regret to say that our beloved Mary Anne Evo passed away, surrounded by loved ones, on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 in her home in Falmouth, ME at the age of 95.

In the year 1926 the United States launched the first liquid fueled rocket, beginning humanity’s exploration of space; Route 66 was constructed, connecting Chicago and Los Angeles; the first trans-Atlantic telephone call was made, connecting continents and people; and Mary Anne was born to Dorothy (Moore) and Harold Arnette in Los Angeles, California. The era in which she was born was not kind to women, but she didn’t let that stop her for one second. From a young age she refused to be constrained by others’ expectations and demands, opting to forge her own path through life. At the age of six Mary Anne ran away from her Catholic boarding school, determined to find her way home. She conspired with a classmate to escape the school, eventually making her way to her grandmother’s house before getting caught. This was only the beginning of her rule-breaking antics.

Over the course of her life Mary Anne witnessed countless historical events, including the Second World War, during which she worked as a telephone operator for Bell Telephone Company. When she wasn’t working, Mary Anne was in the all-night dance halls, dancing the Jitterbug and listening to Jimmy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Harry James. At 18 Mary Anne married Charles (Chuck) Frederick, a sailor stationed in Texas, and stayed married to him for approximately two weeks. Her independent spirit was decidedly too much for the marriage and, after a brief stay in Las Vegas for the divorce, she quickly moved back to Los Angeles to continue her life as a working woman. At the end of the war Mary Anne married Edmund Day, a soldier who had just arrived home. She continued working as a nurse and bookkeeper, and once again her ambition proved to be too much for her marriage and husband, and so she moved on. Mary Anne continued to live her life with flair and passion, working hard and taking every opportunity to have fun. After an on again off again romance with a man she referred to as Mr. Neher, he asked her to pick up and move to New York City to marry him. In 1952 she did just that, venturing to the opposite end of the country. She was hired as a bookkeeper by Olivetti where she “learned to be a New Yorker.” Mary Anne became stepmother to Neher’s children, Van Jr., Bob, Dick, and Leni, living with them first in New York and then in Liberty Corner, New Jersey where she purchased an historic farm with lots of space. The children were instrumental in helping Mary Anne run an antique business out of their home, where they would host popular antique shows for successful venders. Eventually the marriage ended, and Mary Anne once again ventured out on her own as a working woman in New York, taking in her sister Victoria, who had moved out from California to live with her. Mary Anne made a life for herself in New York, continuing to forge her own path as a woman ahead of her time.

It was in New York that Mary Anne met her fourth husband and the love of her life, Jack Evo. With his charming demeanor and love of her independent spirit, Jack eventually convinced Mary Anne to marry him. They created a life together, moving across the country, from New York, to New Jersey, to Virginia, to California. They provided homes for countless animals including Newfoundlands, Pomeranians, spaniels, guinea hens, peacocks, chickens, swans, geese, cats, pigs and more. During their time spent together they made great friends, who enriched their time on this earth beyond belief.

Together, Mary Anne and Jack successfully ran several businesses, including providing transportation and staging with their RV for Hollywood stars on movie sets. Telly Savalas, Phyllis Diller, Lorne Greene, John Denver and “Mr. T” were just a few. They started their successful business, Bear Products, which Mary Anne continued to run after her husband’s passing, until the age of 90, when she sold the company and stayed on as a consultant for the next few years. Mary Anne’s beloved husband Jack passed away in 1995 and since then, she has kept his memory alive in the hearts of their family and friends.

Mary Anne continued to move between New York, Maine, and California, never settling in one place and always planning her next adventure or endeavor. She traveled the world, from all over Europe to Australia and Alaska. Her constant forging of pathways has inspired those who knew her to move beyond the boundaries placed in front of them and to never take no for an answer.

In these last decades of Mary Anne’s life, she seems to have made it a personal mission to enrich the lives of her friends and family, and no doubt, that is what she did. Her heartwarming anecdotes, fascinating oral histories, hilarious jokes, and positive outlook on life will remain with her loved ones for the rest of their lives.

There have been many changes between 1926 and 2022, and one thing is certain, Mary Anne certainly left the world a better place for her being in it. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and adoring dogs. Love you always, Dearheart.

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