Patrick Albert Evans

It is difficult to summarize a great man’s life in a few words; but those who knew Patrick would be certain he would not have wanted it any other way. “Not too flowery” he would often say. So here goes…Patrick was a man with integrity and character. Patrick was a man with a deep and intense love for his family. Patrick was a man with a passion for helping others. Patrick was a man with a mischievous sense of humor. Patrick was a man who enjoyed life to the fullest. Patrick was quite simply and profoundly his wife’s best friend, her rock, her advisor, her one and only, her everything. Patrick was his children’s example of what it meant to be a solid human being; a mentor, a friend, a giver of wisdom, an encourager of being independent and a supporter of all their hopes and dreams. His family was his world, his purpose, his light. He spent his childhood in Metairie, LA, conquering one adventure after another and enjoying his studies and athletic endeavors at Rummel High School. Although he was a stellar athlete and mathematician, Patrick knew he wanted to be a psychologist as a teenager. He got his undergraduate degree from U.N.O. and his Masters/Doctorate from U.S.M. As a Clinical Psychologist, he gave over 40 years helping others…serving was in his DNA. He cared deeply about the people he counseled and celebrated their progress. His work was his joy, his mission, his destiny. Patrick loved to ride his bike, grill on his Green Egg, fish, talk to his children and sisters weekly and dine out, hold hands, tease, and laugh with his wife. We are all walking in a grief-filled fog right now, but Patrick would not want that for us. He would want us all to know…he loved his life.

(Memories from his sisters) A natural and gifted athlete, Pat was always the first chosen to be on a team in neighborhood games. He was fast, agile, and competitive while playing baseball and jailbreak (our favored games) and always the eventual champion in our hours-long ping-pong tournaments. In high school he played basketball and ran track. Patrick was a starting forward when Rummel competed in the LA State Basketball Championship game. Though only 6’3”, he was assigned the formidable task of guarding 7’0” Robert Parrish (later known as “the Chief” of the Boston Celtics) because of his excellent defensive skills. He matured into a caring and protective older brother, devoted to his family. I often turned to Pat in my darkest hours as a sounding board and wise counsel. He made weak marriages stronger, helped the fearful and lonely and guided those coping with loss and grief. Pat was always there for his family. As a child, he was there to provide entertainment through escapades like trying to catch a monkey in the woods - only to fall out of the tree and break his arm. On another occasion, Pat brought home a wild raccoon. “Rocky” didn’t adjust well to life in a cage and he expressed his extreme displeasure every time someone walked by. The raccoon experience was not one of Pat’s most well thought out adventures. Thankfully, “Rocky” was released into the wild after a few weeks. During Pat’s teen years, he provided his family with many happy memories of watching him play basketball and run in track meets. Of course, he still had his mischievous side, occasionally turning the hose on you as you walked out the door or cutting the house water supply off while you were taking a shower. Throughout his life, Pat seemed to instinctively know where someone needed support, encouragement or just a good laugh.

Patrick was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Farrell and Helen Kuehne Evans; and brother, Bobby Evans.

He is survived by his wife, Terese Gargiulo; sons, Connor Patrick and Dylan Thomas; daughter, Molly Claire; sisters, Sheila Hutchinson and Helen Evans; and many well-loved nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at St. James Catholic Church. Friends may visit one-hour prior to service. Interment will follow at St. James Catholic Church Cemetery. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport is honored to serve the Evans family.