Evan David Johnson—beloved husband, father, brother, son, skilled

carpenter, old-time musician, and graduate of Vanderbilt University

Divinity School—died surrounded by family at his home on Sunday,

December 1st. He was 41 years old.

Despite battling cancer for the majority of his adult life, Evan

accomplished many beautiful things. He raised two amazing sons,

Reuben and Thomas, with his loving wife, Laura Eve Wallace.

Though cancer had prevented him from finishing college, Vanderbilt

made an exception for his enrollment based on his astute intellect,

profound experiences, and his interest in exploring the meaning of

life, suffering, and death. After graduating from divinity school,

Evan pursued a career in carpentry, working on crews around

Nashville and eventually earning a General Contractor’s license.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Evan also hopped

freight trains around the country, put on puppet shows with Laura,

and was an excellent cook. He loved the trees, plants, and rivers of

his native Tennessee, as well as fishing and spending time at

the family cabin on Lake Pokegama in northern Minnesota.

Evan made friends everywhere he went and was much loved

by his East Nashville community. He was a natural-born comedian,

and was working on a stand-up routine about death while he was

dying. His wit was matched by his wide-ranging curiosity, intelligence,

and deep kindness. He will be greatly missed by all.

Along with his wife and two sons, Evan is survived by: his mother,

Melody Johnson; his father, David Johnson; his identical twin brother,

Lee Johnson; and his younger sister, Ketley Johnson-Rarick.

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