Barry Roger Evans

Barry Roger Evans, a resident of The Villages, Florida, for more than 25 years, passedaway after a short illness on September 12, 2026, at the age of 94. He is survived by hiswife, Ginny, to whom his heart was anchored throughout 70 years of marriage; his sonsBruce (Bridgitt), and Craig (Julie); daughter, Lynda; six grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren; and his sister, Judith Sanders.

He was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and grew up in western Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. He graduated from Thiel College with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1954 and from the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in governmental administration in 1956. From 1956 to 1958, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia.

His 40-year career in city management began in 1959 in Roanoke, Virginia. During the1960s and early 1970s he held city manager positions in several locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In 1973 he was appointed city manager of Huntington, West Virginia, which was then the largest city in the state. During his four-year tenure, he led the effort to build the Huntington Civic Center, a project that faced significant political hurdles but was completed on time, under budget and without the need for any borrowing by the city.

His career later took him to Minnesota and Florida for city manager roles, concluding in Pensacola, Florida, as the Escambia County administrator, where he served from 1994 to 2000. When interviewed at the time of his retirement, he said his greatest accomplishment during his tenure was putting Escambia County on firm financial footing. What he didn’t mention was that he also helped citizens of the county weather five hurricanes, including two direct hits that made landfall in Pensacola.

Barry was also a natural and prolific writer, with a style that featured his wry sense of humor. Throughout his career, he wrote columns for local newspapers, using them to keep citizens informed, in an entertaining way, about municipal affairs. After moving to The Villages, he shared his weekly “Musings” with Villages-News.com readers for more than a dozen years. As a columnist, he wrote about everything from his favorite old cars and rhubarb pie to problematic pillows, the “Blonde in the House” (his beloved wife, Ginny) and a recurring character, Ludlow the Yellow Rubber Ducky. In 2019 he published a collection of his columns in a book titled Musings from Life in The Villages, FL. His last column appeared just a few weeks before his passing.

When Barry retired from Escambia County in 2000, his management team issued a proclamation, that stated, “It was written many years ago, that part of a man’s praise may be told in his presence, and the whole in his absence – and Barry’s absence will be deeply felt.” His family could not agree more.

Beyond all that he accomplished in his professional life, Barry was a kind and gentleman with a wonderful sense of humor, an avid reader of mysteries and science fiction, and, above all, a devoted husband, father and grandfather who loved his family with all his heart.

His family and friends will remember him for his warmth, his wit, his devotion to the people he loved, and the countless ways he made their lives richer by being part of them. After 94 years of a life well lived and deeply loved, he will be missed beyond measure.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at The Congregational Church in Summerfield, 15421 U.S. Hwy 301, Summerfield, Florida. A private burial will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Barry Evans’ memory to Merrick, Inc. (www.merrickinc.org ), a Minnesota-based organization that empowers adults with disabilities