Leon E. Evans Jr. 1952-2025

Lee was born Feb. 8, 1952, in Youngstown, a son of the late Leon E. Evans Sr. and Margaret Mary Sullivan Evans, and was a lifelong area resident who proudly resided in McDonald for the past 48 years.

He attended St. Rose School through the eighth grade before attending and graduating from Liberty High School in 1970. He enjoyed playing both football and baseball and was elected senior class president, in no small part due to his innate ability to easily connect with people of all different backgrounds.

After high school, Lee went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State University in 1974. He began his professional career with the IRS for a short stint before moving into a totally new career in the wooden pallet and lumber industry with Liberty Industries in Girard. He worked there as both an outside and inside sales representative for 20 years and became affectionately known as “The Pallet King,” a title he carried throughout his career with tremendous pride.

Lee changed course in 1995 and became an independent sales representative as he ventured out on his own and worked for himself. He took a huge risk and bet on himself and developed a highly successful business within months.

In 1997, he found his final workplace home at Millwood Inc. Here, he worked in a variety of roles in sales, sourcing and management, and was instrumental in building the foundation of the company in its infancy, which has grown to become one of the largest and most successful companies in the wooden pallet and lumber industry in the United States. He formed long-lasting relationships with many customers and vendors across the country through his infectious personality and ability to gain the trust of others through his words and actions.

Lee helped to recruit, hire, train and mentor countless people in his time at Millwood, and found joy in passing along his incredible knowledge, problem-solving ability and his unique, yet often unorthodox sayings and wisdom. After 20 very successful and joyful years, Lee retired from Millwood Inc. in 2017 to enjoy his well-earned retirement.

Lee was a faithful member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, where he served as a lector, usher and Eucharistic minister, and was active on the parish council and finance committee. He also was an instrumental part of the team that raised the capital for the major church renovation in the early 2000s. He was thankful to God for all the many blessings that he had in his life, and his dedicated service to his parish reflected his devotion to both faith and community.

In his leisure time, Lee enjoyed simple pleasures. In his younger days, he enjoyed fishing, golfing and coaching his sons’ Little League baseball teams. He loved reminiscing with so many of the players that he coached as they became adults and often spoke about how much he enjoyed all the kids that he coached. Lee was also an avid reader for his entire life and had a tremendous vocabulary of rarely used words because of it, which he enjoyed using on a regular basis. Most of all, he looked forward to smoking his twice-daily cigars in the garage, relaxing with his adult beverages, and shooting the breeze with family, friends and any neighbor who stopped by to visit. Above all else, he cherished the time spent with his family, especially his beloved granddaughters.

Left to treasure Lee’s memory are his two sons, Leon (Jenna M.) Evans III of McDonald and Jamie Evans, also of McDonald; his granddaughters, Aubrey and Elyse; his brother, John Gary (Vickie) Evans of Grove City, Ohio; sister-in-law, Peggy (Pat) Byrne of Girard; brother-in-law, Willie McFalls of Bristolville; his companion, Linda Tote of McDonald; eight nieces and nephews, and many extended family and friends.

His wife of 36 years, Florence “Pinky” McFalls Evans, whom he married June 7, 1975, passed away Aug. 9, 2011.

Family and friends may call 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, at Kinnick Funeral Home, 222 S. State St., Girard.

Funeral services will begin at 9:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, at the funeral home, and continue with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 618 Ohio Ave., McDonald.

Interment will follow in Resurrection Cemetery in Austintown, where Lee will be laid to rest beside his beloved wife.

In lieu of flowers, Lee’s family suggests memorial contributions be made to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church or the Florence A. Evans and Leon E. Evans Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund.

A special thank you to everyone who was so kind to Lee in the years after his beloved Pinky’s passing. The kindness, friendship, and love that were given to him during the most difficult time in his life are something that he truly appreciated more than he could adequately express.

Words cannot accurately describe Lee to those who knew him, but he will long be remembered for his ability to make everyone laugh, his devotion to his family and the simple joys that brought him happiness.

Visit kinnickfuneralhome.com to send condolences to Lee’s family.

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