Evan had a real talent for expressing himself artistically and won various awards throughout his school career.  He was active in church youth group and did community service projects as well as numerous overseas mission trips. Evan loved to help others. 

After high school Evan decided to attend a local Community College to pursue his dream of becoming a NJ State Trooper.  During the summer of his sophomore year Evan and a close friend decided they wanted to join the Coast Guard (but the CG was not open for new recruits), so Evan decided to meet with a local Navy recruiter. He left for boot camp a few weeks later. Evan went to school in California and became part of the Seabee division of the Navy, stationed in Gulfport, MS.  During a deployment in Afghanistan Evan decided to continue to challenge himself and test for a spot on a SWCC team.  He passed all the test and interviews and was assigned to the Navy Special Warfare unit: SBT 22.  He was the boat mechanic for their team and was stationed at Stennis Space Center, MS. Evan loved being part of this elite group. 

While he was state side, he suffered a traumatic brain injury and was hospitalized for months, following his release Evan did not receive the mental health evaluations he needed. He would go to his routine medical appointments, but rarely was he encouraged to seek therapy or psychosocial interventions to help him cope with everything he had been through. November 18, 2014 Naval officers arrived at my front door to informed me that my son has taken his own life. The light that Evan cast was undeniable and life for our family will never be the same.