Sally McGranor Evans, 83, an early pioneer in the development of Wright State University, died of natural causes in her sleep, Feb. 26, 2018. She was born Jan. 2, 1935, to David John McGranor and Pearl Ball McGranor. She was born at home in the same house as her mother in a small mining town of Sportsburg, three miles outside of Punxsutawney, Pa. She was their only child.
She and her husband, Bill Evans, arrived in Dayton in the fall of 1964 and had instant involvement with Wright State. Then known as the Dayton Campus of Miami and The Ohio State University. Her husband, Bill Evans, was the first faculty member in the College of Business. Sally transferred two years of college work from Youngstown College and completed her B.S. in Education with Honors and graduated in the first graduation class from Wright State in a beautiful outdoor setting on the Quad at Wright State in 1968.
Her career as Director of Student Services in the College of Education covered the period of 1968 to 1992. In the early years many students turned to education to resist being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. This action flooded the college enrollment and Ms. Evans worked to help students meet the college requirements to become teachers.
Sally was instrumental in the founding of the Kappa Delta Pi Chapter at Wright State, an Honor Society in Education. She served as advisor of that chapter until her retirement. During registration times there were many students lined up outside her office on the fourth floor of Millett Hall. Norwood Marquis, Dean of the College of Education, told her that he was glad the line was outside her office and not his.
She was a graduate of South High School, in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1952. In the fall of 1952 she began her college career at Youngstown College where she met her husband, Bill, while they were in line to register for classes.
Both of her children, Marilyn Evans and David Evans, received their bachelor's and master's degrees from Wright State.
Sally and Bill were married on Jan. 21, 1955, at Trinity Methodist Church, In Youngstown. Sally was a member of Phi Mu Sorority. Her husband, Bill Evans, died in August of 2015. A daughter, Marilyn Evans, a son David Evans and two granddaughters Macy and Lexy Harris of Centerville survive her.
During the last few years of her life, she was a resident of the 10 Wilmington Place retirement home just above downtown Dayton on the corner of Wilmington and Wayne Avenue. Sally was an avid and financial supporter of Planned Parenthood and the Democratic Party. She has made arrangements to give her remains to the Wright State School of Medicine.
