LA GRANDE — A seemingly never-ending smile and a positive attitude. A love for his family. A snowboarder. A golf coach. A friend.

To those who knew him, Ron Evans was that and much more. He was perhaps best known in the community of La Grande in his position as the head boys golf coach at La Grande High School, a role he held for the last 17 years. But he also was remembered by colleagues, former players and family for being compassionate, kind, always upbeat and finding the best in others.

“He was just a positive, upbeat person who seemed to see the best in his players,” said former LHS girls golf coach Cally Goss. “I’ve always known him to be that easy. Just was his God-given personality, he was kind at heart, very nonconfrontational, easygoing as I knew him.”

Evans died unexpectedly Friday, July 14, of a presumed heart attack. He was 62.

“(He was) a great individual, positive to be around, positive for our youth, good role model — those kind of people, in my opinion, are hard to replace,” said Bill Waldrop, the current LHS girls golf coach, said of Evans. “I don’t think you can replace him. Whoever does try to fill Ron’s shoes is going to have a really tough task ahead of them.”

Evans’ penchant for the game of golf goes back decades, and includes his days playing for La Grande in high school. Goss, who was the girls head coach for eight years and knew him in that capacity, also knew him as both attended LHS at the same time. Even then, she recalled Evans having a similar personality.

“Even in high school he was always very kind to me, and to people in general,” she said.

Goss got to see Evans’ coaching style firsthand as her son, Mavric, played for Evans from 2009-2012. Mavric Goss was a key contributor to the Tigers winning back-to-back state championships in 2011 and 2012, a time he remembered fondly.

“That was definitely a highlight of my golf career,” Mavric Goss said. “That was the top of it all, such a moment. Both times too. The second time was just as special. It was very unexpected as well. No one expected little La Grande to win the state title.”

He noted that Evans’ coaching style was one that, like his attitude, came from a place of positivity and encouragement. While Goss said Evans would say what was needed when it was necessary, it was with a kindness-first approach.

“I loved Ron’s coaching style. He had a trust in us, believed in us, was kind, made it fun,” Goss said. “I think that’s what our success came from. We had so much fun every day. We enjoyed coming to practice. We saw him as an authority figure and (he) called the shots, but he was a friend too.”

Goss, who now lives in Portland, maintained that friendship through the years, checking in with Evans often on visits in La Grande.

“He had a huge impact on my life with golf and everything,” Goss said, noting how Evans interacted with his players affects how he interacts with people today. “We were pretty close. We developed a friendship. When I would come to town we would always reconnect.”

Evans’ coaching style didn’t waver later in his life. Jack Sunderman, who just graduated from LHS in June, described a similar experience playing under Evans.

“He could make you feel everything was all right, even in something so frustrating (like golf),” Sunderman said. “I think his ability to stay calm as a person in general really made him a good golf coach. In golf, it’s easy to get frustrated or upset. His levelheadedness and chill attitude made him more approachable.”

Evans also carried an unwavering belief in his players, which Sunderman’s example shows.

“You could be down by 50 at halftime in a basketball game and he would believe his team could win,” Sunderman said. “That’s what really stood out to me about Ron. He kept his belief we could still succeed until there was no chance left.”

Sunderman added that he learned, through Evans’ coaching, how to better battle adversity.

“In golf, you fail frequently,” he said. “You have to learn to mentally and physically battle back. It translates to life easier than you think because golf is so hard.”

Cally Goss saw the way Evans coached her son and other players, and shortly afterward was working as his counterpart for the girls program.

“He didn’t get uptight. Before I coached with him, our son was on his team, and we watched him in that realm,” she said. “There were times Mavric didn’t play well, or was struggling. He always said the right things to Mavric. He never got mad at him. He was very good at encouraging his players.”

Cally Goss and Evans became friends during their time coaching together. She had seen him just days prior to his death as she had grandchildren taking part in the same golf camp as his youngest son.

“We were so compatible sharing space when we coached together,” she said. “He was always so giving and flexible, just so easy to work with as a coach, sharing that same space. He was always really cool about that.”

The two coaches and their teams really had to share space during a spring season that, she said, was severely hampered by snow. Often the teams had to practice indoors at La Grande Country Club, working solely on short game and rules, but they made the best of it.

“We kind of tag-coached together,” she said. “I just remember that it ended up really pretty fun, even if we couldn’t be outside.”

Waldrop, the current girls coach, saw much of the same as Goss, with Evans showing a willingness to help however necessary, and always staying positive.

“His personality just rubs off on you. It’s a little contagious — be nice to people, let things roll off your shoulders when things get bad, and just enjoy life,” he said. “That’s kind of what Ron was all about for me. To be around him, it was just a pleasure.”

Even if a difficult topic came up, Evans’ demeanor didn’t change, Waldrop said.

“We’ve talked about some serious situations and stuff that was bothering him, but his mood never really changed.”

Waldrop also saw a side of Evans that perhaps was not as well known — a passion for snowboarding. He recalled as a teenager going snowboarding with Evans’ family on a trip to Mount Bachelor and seeing his calm demeanor in a tough situation. The vehicle had been involved in what Waldrop called a “near-death experience,” and there was a language barrier between Evans and those in the other vehicle.

“Just to see how calm and collected Ron was (while trying) to figure out the situation when you can’t even speak the same language — I’ve got so many great, positive stories that I don’t know if I can pick one,” Waldrop said.

Evans owned two snowboarding stores in La Grande — One Track Mind and, later, Epidemic — and his son, Anton Evans, said he recalled spending countless hours at the shop as a youth.

“Snowboarding was just as big a part of his life as golf, if not more,” Anton Evans said.

But the younger Evans noted that, indeed, most people in La Grande knew of his father’s role as golf coach, and it was a spot he embraced.

“It was a big thing to him, being (a) golf coach,” he said. “It was one of his favorite things, being out at the golf course with his kids. I always remember he was so excited for golf. I remember when he won the state championship two years in a row, that was a big deal to him. He was so happy for the kids.”

Anton Evans eventually played under his dad, and he said he did an excellent job of treating him the same way as any other golfer and not playing favorites.

“I feel he pushed me harder. He also didn’t want to make sure it seemed to others he was favoring me,” he said. “I’m glad he didn’t baby me on the course. He gave it to me straight just like the other players.”

Evans said in the days since his father’s death he has received numerous messages from individuals who spoke of Ron Evans’ influence on their lives.

“I think he was really inspiring to a lot of people,” Anton Evans said. “He was an inspiring person. If you asked him to do something, he would be there at the drop of a hat. It kind of still feels like he is still here. He had a lot of presence.”

Happiness, he added, was the driving force for Ron Evans, and Anton Evans said he hopes his dad is remembered for what he brought to people — a smile, kindness, care and a positive attitude.

“I want him to be remembered for what he did with the community, being a coach, snowboarding. … Just as a helping, kind person (who) wasn’t afraid to help anybody,” he said. “He was very selfless, I’d say. He was always uplifting, and just a goofy guy. He always was able to find a way to make people happy or at least get them to smile and laugh.”