The popular lawmaker Lane Evans died Wednesday, November 5, 2014 due to complications from Parkinson's disease.
Funeral services are set at ten o'clock Monday morning for former Congressman Lane Evans; it will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Moline. Visitation will be held this Saturday and Sunday at Esterdahl Mortuary in Moline. Burial is at the Rock Island Arsenal Cemetery.
Longtime friends and colleagues are remembering the 63-year-old as an unconventional politician, a kind and compassionate advocate for veterans.
"Lane Evans was accessible," said former campaign manager Doug House. "He was kind of an unnatural politician of sorts. He was very politically savvy, but he was shy. Somewhat bashful. He wasn't an in-your-face glad-handler politician. He always wanted to be known as Lane, not the Congressman."
Evans, who served in the Marine Corps, fought hard for Agent Orange legislation.
"It took him 8 years to get it done," said friend and longtime staffer Phil Hare. "At that time, the VA would say it only causes acne. He would not let go. He took the VA on, he took on his own Democratic chairman. Today veterans who have Agent Orange are getting treated and that was his baby. That was one of his babies."
"When the Marines died in Lebanon because they didn't have ammunition, that's the maddest I ever saw Lane," Hare said. "He was furious. He went back and ripped into the Democratic caucus and said "How could you put these people in that situation?""
"He loved Congress, he loved working with Republicans and Democrats. he loved a good old fashioned floor fight on something he genuinely believed in," Hare said, with tears in his eyes.
The lawyer who rose to the ranks of Congress also was a fan of the Beatles and a man named Barack Obama.
"Lane was the first Congressman downstate to endorse the President in his run for U.S Senate," said House.
Later, Evans supported Obama when he ran for President. The two had a private meeting on Election night 2008, where the President-elect told Evans he "owed him" for all of his early support back in the day.
The two re-connected again in 2011 during a campaign stop at Alcoa.
Evans was forced to step down due to his Parkinson's in 2006.
"When he developed the disease, he never complained about it. Not one time," Hare said. "Even though he was in incredible pain," he added.
"When he was diagnosed he had a conference call with the D.C. staff and the district staff and he apologized to us for being sick," Hare said.
Evans is survived by three brothers. He was living in Hope Creek Care Center in East Moline at the time of his death. Two longtime friends served as his caretakers.
Hare says Evans was proof that "nice guys finish first."