NEW ORLEANS — A man who served his country, and Southeast Louisiana for decades as a firefighter, was laid to rest Friday.
Chief Robert Evans, Sr. was given a send-off with full honors.
Firefighters who served for many decades gave a final salute to a brother firefighter they respected and loved. He was a man who served during the most memorable tragedies, the Rault Center, and Beverly Dinner Playhouse fires, the Howard Johnson Hotel sniper, and the crash of Flight 759.
Chief “Bobby” Evans donned multiple service hats from the NOFD, JPFD, 3rd District FD, U.S. Air Force, JPSO, and instructor at the fire training center, all for more than a half-century. Some of that was as a volunteer and many years as a ranking leader.
His son, a firefighter for 25 years, Lt. Robbie Evans spent a lot of time with him in a fire truck, an ambulance, and a police car.
“Yeah, he absolutely inspired me, and everyone else. I mean, there are firemen states away from here that's come down for training,” said Robbie Evans, Jr.
In uniform, everyone is family.
“In everything he did, he was about training, and helping people. You know, he was truly a public servant of the first quality,” said Wayne Noveh, a firefighter for 52 years.
His fellow firefighters told stories that made people choke back tears, but they also told stories that made people laugh just as Bobby did.
“Aw, he was a funny guy and that. He was a good guy. He was always caring about his people and that. He wouldn't have them do anything he wouldn't do.” remembers Ron Bertucci, a firefighter for 34 years who says Evans got him interested in his career.
“He was a character. He was funny, but when the time came to fight the fire, he was serious and he taught a lot of others the proper way of fighting fires,” said Randy Bruff, an assistant fire chief, serving for 45 years.
And his service did not stop when the uniform came off.
“He put me up for a while in his house years and years ago. Yeah, loaned me his vehicle,” laughed Tommy Comesana, a retired district chief who has been a firefighter for 46 years and worked with Evans for 30 years.
The antique fire truck dubbed “Old Betsy” carried his flag-draped casket in front of his station, as the bell clanged in the silence.
His final radio call sounded on the PA system three times before being declared out of service. And saluting the chief on the side, representing some of the thousands of recruits he's trained, were young firefighters ready to carry on his legacy.
Evans had cancer, and was 78-years-old.
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