Jeffrey Philip Evangelos was born on Nov. 3, 1952 at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass. – the cradle of the American Revolution. Fittingly, he entered the world on Election Day, a sign of the civic spirit that would define so much of his life.
He was the son of James and Helen Evangelos and spent his early childhood in Acton, Mass. At age 15, he moved with his family to Pittsford, N.Y., where he graduated from Pittsford Sutherland High School in 1970.
Jeff earned his B.S. in economics and history from State University of New York at Brockport in 1973 and a M.A. in history from the University of Maine in 1974. While completing graduate school, he hitchhiked the length of Appalachia – from Maine to Georgia – documenting the struggles of rural communities. Even then, he felt called to understand people whose voices were too often unheard. That instinct to stand with those overlooked never left him.
He began his public service career in Vanceboro and in 1976 became the youngest town manager in the state at just 23 years old, serving the town of Warren. Under his leadership, the town pushed forward significant projects, including the development of the footbridge, construction of the fire station, and the town’s current transfer station.
Later, as business manager of SAD 40 for 15 years, he oversaw the construction of five schools, shaping the educational future of countless Maine students. He also fought fiercely for the people who kept those schools running. He believed custodians, bus drivers, and lunch staff deserved the same benefits afforded to everyone else. When a union was attempted on their behalf – an effort that ultimately did not succeed – the workers said something that stayed with him forever: “We don’t need a union, we have Jeff.” It was perhaps one of the highest compliments of his life.
Jeff’s adventurous spirit carried him far beyond Maine. A trout fishing trip to the mountains of Afghanistan sparked a lifelong love of Central Asia and its people. He founded Central Asian Artifacts, an import company, and traveled to Pakistan nearly 20 times, forming deep and lasting friendships, especially with the Butt family. He approached the world the same way he approached his neighbors – with openness, curiosity, and respect.
When the events of Sept. 11, 2001 made international travel more difficult, Jeff poured himself more deeply into public service at home. He served in the Maine House of Representatives from 2012-2016 and again from 2018-2022 as an independent. In Augusta, he was guided not by party loyalty but by principle. He was steady during divided times, willing to stand alone if that was what conscience required.
In the Legislature, he championed criminal justice reform, Wabanaki sovereignty, and the protection of Maine’s fishing communities. One of his most meaningful efforts was leading a proposal to restore parole in Maine after it was abolished in 1976. Jeff believed in redemption, that people could change and that systems should allow for second chances.
His heroes – John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr. – reflected his deep commitment to justice and equality. A devoted and meticulous researcher of the Kennedy assassination, he pursued truth with intensity and intellectual rigor. His favorite saying said it all: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”
Even after leaving elected office, Jeff continued visiting the Maine State Prison weekly, assisting with innocence petitions and offering mentorship and friendship to incarcerated men. He continued those visits even while battling metastatic prostate cancer. To the very end, he showed up for others. He thought every person deserved dignity, especially those the world had written off.
At home, Jeff found peace on the farm he had cherished for 30 years, alongside the love of his life, Harolyn, and their beloved and iconic pet cow, Sheba. He cultivated an expansive garden, grew much of his own food, and took pride in preparing meals from his harvest. He heated his home entirely with wood he cut, split, and stacked himself, happiest when outdoors, especially with a fishing rod in hand. He often returned to Washington County to fish his favorite trout streams.
He was a devoted Boston sports fan, faithfully cheering on the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics. His love of the game began in boyhood. As a teenager, he once tried to sneak into the 1967 World Series. His friends made it in, but Jeff felt the unmistakable hand of authority on his shoulder and, unfortunately, did not. It was an early glimpse of the daring, nonconforming spirit that would define him.
Over the years, that same passion for the game found its truest expression at home. His greatest joy was his family. Nothing delighted him more than watching his grandchildren play sports or tossing a ball in the backyard with his beloved “sluggers.”
Jeff will be profoundly missed by his wife, Harolyn; his children, Rachel (David) Batty and Ethan (Jen) Evangelos; his stepdaughters, Leslie York and Andrea York; and his cherished grandchildren, Austin and Garrett Gray, and Evelyn and Alden Evangelos. He is also survived by his brothers, James Evangelos Jr., Gary Evangelos, and Mark Evangelos; as well as many dear friends – too many to name – whose lives he touched deeply.
Jeff lived fully, loved deeply, and never wavered from the truth. His legacy endures in the lives he shaped and in the many who are better because he stood with them.
A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 12 at SaltWater Fields (52 Saltwater Way, South Thomaston, ME 04858).
Donations may be made to the Jeffrey Evangelos Public Policy and Justice Reform Fellowship, established by the Reentry Sisters, at 158 North St., Suite 312, Portland, ME 04101.
Arrangements are under the care of Hall Funeral Home of Waldoboro. To share condolences, visit hallfuneralhomes.com.
