Evlyn Day Latimer died peacefully 27 January 2022 in her home. Evlyn was a vivacious personality who loved to meet and have fun with people, sing in the church choir, try new foods, swap recipes, and cruise around in a convertible car or on a boat in the open water. She was three and a half weeks short of her 94th birthday, and was in her bed under the care of her in-home nursing team.
Evlyn Hoyle Day was born in Staunton, VA where her father Willard Farnsworth Day was City Manager and her mother Jessie Wayland Day was a music teacher at the Stuart Hall School, choir director at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and the founder of the Thursday Morning Music Club, which is still active today. Her mother Jessie instilled a lifelong love of music and the arts in both Evlyn and her older brother Willard "Sunny" Day.
As she grew up, the family moved to Richmond, VA, Chevy Chase, MD, and Bethesda, MD. Evlyn graduated from the National Cathedral School and studied at Converse College. Evlyn married Henry Beckham “Herk” Latimer in 1947 at the Bethlehem Chapel of the National Cathedral. Evlyn and Herk met when Jessie was giving piano lessons to Herk’s sister Eleanor.
During his Navy career, Evlyn and Herk were stationed at multiple locations on the East and West Coasts. She loved the life of a Navy wife, raising a family and socializing with the other young families. Her four sons were all born in US Naval Hospitals – Rich in Portsmouth VA, Randy in Charleston SC, Christian in Key West FL, and Clarke in Bethesda MD. When Herk retired from the Navy in 1960, the family settled in Manlius, NY where he started work at General Electric.
Evlyn and Herk divorced in 1965. Herk, Rich and Randy moved to Vienna, VA. Christian and Clarke stayed with Evlyn in Manlius through High School graduation. Evlyn worked in offices for Ascot Van Lines and Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital. Evlyn loved the holidays and other times when all her boys were with her.
Evlyn was a church-going woman with a strong faith, and a member of the choir at every church. She was involved in the vestry in Trinity Church, Fayetteville, where she also helped coordinate pot-luck dinners and stage holiday plays. She made sure her sons were all baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church.
Evlyn moved to Virginia to be closer to her father in 1978, first living with him in Williamsburg for one year and then in Virginia Beach. She worked in sales at Smith & Welton department store.
After her father died in 1986, Evlyn bought a new condo in VA Beach and planted a huge perennial and shrub garden that was the source of much happiness for her and the showcase of the neighborhood. She went on several cruises a year to places in the Caribbean, Pacific Northwest, and Europe. She loved meeting new people and making new friends.
In 1999 she moved to Leisure World MD to be closer to Randy, Christian, and their families. Evlyn had dementia which progressed in later years. Randy and Christian managed her household and coordinated a team of home care nurses. She lived the end of her life as she wanted – in her own home, in good health, safe, and well cared for. She made it clear she did not want to live with any of her sons or in an assisted living facility.
Evlyn is survived by her four sons, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren:
Richard Gibson Latimer and partner Dixie Friend (Houston, TX), and his sons Colin Henry Latimer (Houston, TX), Eric Gibson Latimer and wife Michelle Cumagun Latimer (Seattle, WA), and their sons Jaxon Kendrick Latimer, Vincent Porter Latimer, Randolph Day Latimer and wife Cynthia Johnson Latimer (Vienna, VA) and her daughters Tracey Christine Chenault, husband Trae (Dolphin, VA), Jacquelyn Cynthia Reed, fiancé Joe Sander (Boardman, OH), Christian Kinney Latimer and wife Leslie Sheppe (Scaggsville, MD) and their daughters Emily Augusta Latimer, husband Alan Zigler (Ellicott City, MD), Sarah Louise Latimer, husband Bryon Bacon (Sykesville, MD);
Clarke Talbot Latimer and partner Kevin Purinai (Atlanta, GA).
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 2pm at Inter-Faith Chapel, 3680 S. Leisure World Blvd., Silver Spring, MD 20906. Burial will be at 12pm on Monday, May 16, 2022 at Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton, VA.
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