Evans, Robert

Robert was my dear dear brother. We used to fight when we were young and then in typical teen fashion ignored each other after puberty. I didn't know he was gay unitl he was in his late 20s. Then our frindship grew, though we lived in different worlds I always looked forward to visiting him in his varied San Francisco flats,once he took me to the Roxie and showed me how everything worked, I even attended a soiree, and loved his and sometimes Curts visits to Sacramento. I always thought we would grow old together, maybe build a model railroad together, (We both grew up with and loved model trains). I miss him, his sister Martha misses him, and we always will.

I met Robert in 1965 at U.C. Berkeley, in Barrington Hall, a student co-op where we had to work five hours a week. Robert was in charge of the library (books but mainly LPs) and also of the films which were brought for our occasional film nights. He would expound on What is Art? while we enjoyed chocolate eclairs from the pastry shop on Telegraph - he's probably responsible for my becoming a music student. I remember him writing his final paper for his final English class, late as usual, but necessary for his graduation. I would take pages as they were written over to his indulgent professor at Wheeler Hall, all in long hand. I remember that he was arrested while working at the Roxie as a projectionist, before he bought the theater. The vice squad had notified the Roxie that they would be raiding the house because of an objectionable film. Robert didn't understand the way the game is played so he took the film off the program before they could snatch it. They were so angry they threw him in jail Friday night so that he wouldn't be able to get bail until Monday. He transformed my life and was a tremendous influence on all who knew him.