Evan Scott Winston

Evan Winston, 53, died suddenly on May 3 after suffering an aortic dissection at his home in Exeter, California. His death was unexpected, and his loyal network of family and friends, from Chicago to California's Central Valley, is heartbroken. Evan was born on April 30, 1971, in Skokie, Ill., the youngest of three children in a tight-knit Jewish family. He received the gift of hard work and empathy from his father, Leonard, and a deep spirit of generosity from his mother, Edith. His sister, Debi, watched over him, and he forged a love of cycling with his brother, Mark. Evan's maternal grandmother, Ruth, aka Bubbie, taught him a love feeding people at the family's Sunday night dinners, a weekly tradition that extended many decades. As a teenager, Evan could be found in the family driveway, his head tucked under the hood of a car, tinkering with the engine, a life-long passion taking root. After graduating from Niles West High School in 1989, Evan received an automotive degree from Wyoming Technical Institute and started working his way up Fields Auto Group in the Chicago suburbs, eventually managing the pre-owned BMW business. He also established himself as a savvy real estate investor, placing bets on Chicago neighborhoods like Wicker Park long before others did. It was there that Evan met his wife, Lori, who moved onto his street as a medical student at Loyola University Chicago. They quickly found their way to one another, introduced by a friend of Evan's who showed the apartment she rented. They married four years later, and after a decade together in Chicago, the lure of major job opportunity for Lori brought them to the rural Central Valley of California. Evan couldn't have been more excited, both about Lori's professional success and for the chance to live in the California warmth. It was a place where he did everything he loved: road biking, mountain biking, skiing, hiking, spending weekends at their cabin in the Sequoia National Park, tending to his backyard orchard, grilling on his sun-bathed patio, growing cactuses, and making elaborate homemade pizzas every Friday night, a weekly feast in the spirit of Bubbie. But cycling was like oxygen for Evan, and rarely did he skip his daily 14-plus-mile rides through the Sierra Nevada foothills. One of those rides, on May 2, 2012, nearly ended in tragedy when a truck's backdraft threw Evan off his bike. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and miraculously fought his way back to full health, with the help of Lori, family and friends who came from far and wide to support him. In 2016, Evan and Lori welcomed their son, Leonard, who swiftly became the beloved center of his world. Evan shared his passion for cars with Lenny from a young age. They washed cars together and studied engines. On special occasions, Evan took Lenny for rides in his muscle car nicknamed "The General," a 1987 Grand National. Eventually, Evan bought Lenny his own set of wheels, a Peg-Perego John Deere dune buggy that Lenny, 7, deftly maneuvers across all terrain, just like his dad. Evan's love for Lori ran deep, and he showed it every day, in thoughtful ways, big and small. He delivered a mug of black coffee to her each morning, exchanged loving texts throughout the day, made her multi-coursed meals at night, and never failed to pack a cooler of curated snacks, drinks, and deli meats for her road trips. Evan's steadfast devotion to Lori and Leo was a gift they will always cherish. And his life-long loyalty to those he loved - his family and his network of friends from childhood, cycling and his Chicago and California work circles -- was legendary. With a mischievous smile, a kind heart, and a fierce determination, Evan built a big, beautiful life full of family, hard work, hustle, and love. Evan was proceeded in death by father Leonard Winston, mother Edith Light Winston, and grandmother Ruth "Bubbie" Light. He is survived by wife Dr. Lori (nee Masterson) Winston and son Leonard Winston; older sister, Debi Winston (Ron) Buzil, and older brother, Mark (Carol) Winston; his five nieces and nephews, Jeremy (Ida), Alex (Erica), Ella, Asa and Arielle; and many cousins. A celebration of Evan's life will occur in the coming months and details will be forthcoming. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Evan Scott Winston

April 30, 1971 - May 3, 2024