Meet Evan Oswald. He is a faithful St. Vincent de Paul volunteer who loves to stay active. His hobbies include fishing, astronomy, archery and table tennis. He has won over 45 medals in the Senior Olympic competitions. He wrote a book called “Christians and Post-Modern Leisure.” During his career lifetime he was a college professor, athletic director and coach, activities director and was responsible for creating an athletic program at Navajo Community College in Arizona.
Though he might not admit this himself, on top of his accomplishments, Evan is a devout servant. He and his late wife, Eileen, volunteered in St. Vincent de Paul’s Sunnyslope Dining Room every Tuesday morning for one year.
Evan sat down with us to chat about his experience after a long night of playing table tennis at Phoenix Table Tennis Club. Did we mention Evan is 90 years ‘young’?
Evan says Eileen initially motivated him to become a volunteer, but soon after, he loved how it became a part of their regular routine. And as chance would have it, Evan encountered several Navajo guests in the dining room during his service. His many years working on the reservation led to a special connection with these guests.
“One of my Navajo friends came in to eat and he was soaking wet. His long hair drenched. I said “Yah – tah” (Hello) to him and he responded with a big bear hug, with his dripping hair firmly against my cheek.”
When asked what his role was in the dining room, Evan replied with a humble shrug, “I was just the coffee guy.”
And yet it was in this role that allowed Evan to talk with and get to know the guests on a closer level.
“I always tried to help them feel respected and welcome. And if I learned more about them, then I liked to talk with them a little bit.”
Evan attributes their commitment to serve to Eileen, who passed away June of this summer. According to Evan, Eileen was a woman who exuded hope in everything she did. He says, “Whomever she met, there was the giving of love. The homeless felt it; the church felt it; our retirement community felt it, her family felt it; my family felt it; and I had the privilege of living with this wonderful, loving lady.”
Eileen and Evan met each other at Glencroft Retirement Community after their first spouses had both passed away. They fell in love quickly and decided to have a public wedding. Both were in their eighties.
They were married for eight years.
“After Eileen passed away I sat down in her chair in the bedroom where she sat every morning to put on her socks and shoes. On the wall jutting out from the closet and forming her little corner were two plaques that I had never seen before. One was a beautiful embossed wall hanging with two sheep, a tree, and the words, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ The second was an art piece with this script on it, ‘The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be see or even touched. They must be felt by the heart.’”
In their eight years of being married, Evan was unaware of these wall hangings and after discovering them, he realized they epitomized the essence of Eileen.
Though Evan and Eileen are no longer serving at Sunnyslope Dining Room, they will not soon be forgotten and their dedication to serving and loving has been an inspiration for all.
