William Francis Evans, 47, investment banker and musician, died after a brief illness on Saturday, July 10, at his home in New York City.
He was born in Towson, Maryland, and attended schools there through Towson High School, while studying trumpet and electric bass guitar, and playing in various garage bands. Bill matriculated to Columbia College in the City of New York from which he graduated in 1985 with a B.A. in mathematics. At Columbia, he became part of the more adventurous New York music scene, playing bass in performance and recording with The Sea Beasts, Groovy Squids, Giant Metal Insects, and Chowderhead. His dedication to music enjoyment, practice and performance continued throughout his professional career.
In 1987 he received a M.A, in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania. Later that year he joined the New York company, Caine Gressel Midgley Slater, later cfX Incorporated, as a senior analyst, where he specialized in the development of complex tax-exempt debt transactions for large state housing and health care agencies.
Bill was hired at Bear Stearns & Co. in April 1997 as an Associate Director. He was promoted to Managing Director in 2005. After it acquired Bear Stearns in March 2008, Bill was retained by JP Morgan Securities Inc. as an Executive Director. During his 14-year investment banking career he specialized in the modeling, structuring and pricing of tax-exempt mortgage revenue bond transactions for state housing finance agencies throughout the country for the purpose of financing affordable housing programs for first-time home-buyers and low/moderate income rental developments.
At the time of his death he was preparing to continue his career with Citi, in the Analytics Group within the Municipal Division, where he was to be a senior banker focusing on complex quantitative solutions to financing challenges.
In the past five years or so, Bill was a prized student of Patrick Pfeiffer, a/k/a "basspower". Their lessons together were a source of great joy for both.
Bill leaves behind former spouse Laura Evans (pianist), children Katherine, 15 (violinist), and Philip, 18 (cellist), his parents Bernard (trumpet) and Estelle Evans of Baltimore, and brother Robert C. Evans (double bassist, a/k/a/ wujekna) of Colorado, and a host of friends and colleagues whose respect and admiration he earned over many years of ethical, attentive and creative financial work, and through his devotion to his musical talents and those of others.
There will be a funeral mass at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen (Lady Chapel) 5200 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210 on Wednesday at 11:00 AM. Interment to follow at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens 200 E. Padonia Road Timonium, MD 21093. Arrangements by the family-owned Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 York Road, Towson, MD 21204 410-823-1700.
www.ruckfuneralhomes.com
If you would like to make a donation in Bill’s memory, the family is establishing a scholarship trust in his name for electric bass studies at the Columbia University Music School. PM "wujekna" regarding this if you would like to participate.
