Elizabeth "Eva" Evans Gilbert

Elizabeth “Eva” Evans Gilbert, 92, of Carmel, Indiana passed away on April 30, 2025.

Eva was born in Fort Crook, Nebraska on July 17, 1932 to Elizabeth Doty Evans and John Mulford Evans. She, her twin sister Eileen (Topsy) and their sister Patricia spent their childhood winters growing up in Savannah, Georgia and their summers in Bluffton, South Carolina. On February 19, 1955 Eva married her childhood sweetheart Richard Hugh Gilbert. They went on to raise three children, move numerous times for Dick’s job and enjoy a life together for 62 years until Dick’s death in 2017.

Her education included a two-year Business Certificate from Winthrop College in 1954, a BS in Elementary Education from IU in 1971 and a Masters in Education from Indiana Central College in 1976. She worked as an elementary school teacher in Beech Grove and Franklin Indiana. After moving to Washington D.C. in 1976 she worked as an editor of technical writing at the Pentagon.

After Dick retired, they moved to Asheville, North Carolina where Eva was a tireless volunteer for the Red Cross for 10 years. When she and Dick moved to Carmel in 1996, they immediately became active members at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Carmel. Over the next 15 years she was involved in many activities including office volunteer, clerk of the vestry, clerk of the Development Leadership Committee and member of Daughters of the King. She will be remembered for her welcoming and inclusive nature as she usually was the first to greet a newcomer at the 8:00am service!

Her positive attitude and faith in God carried her through a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in 2008. In December of 2009 she was declared cancer free and remained so for the rest of her life. She attributed it to a miracle healing from God and a new clinical trial drug she was put on at the time. The rest of us know it was her strength of will and positive attitude!

She and Dick moved to Hoosier Village in 2015 and enjoyed many new friends they made there. Eva was a volunteer on the Dining Committee and for several years kept the roster of residents participating in the workout sessions, before fully retiring and spending her free time reading novels and devotionals. In her final years she became known as “the candy lady” for the chocolate bars and Reese’s cups she dispensed to staff and fellow residents, an activity that brought her great joy.

She was predeceased by her husband Richard, and her son John Robert Gilbert. She is survived by her son Richard H. (Anne) Gilbert, Jr.; daughter Jane G. (Bryan) Dunnivant; grandchildren, Jeff (wife, Erin) Gilbert, Kat (husband, Sam) Hanover, Eric (wife, Katie) Dunnivant, Lisa Dunnivant, Patrick (wife, Kristin) Gilbert, Laura (husband, Erik) Wicklund, Brian (fiancée, Karen) Gilbert; great grandchildren, Elsie and John Gilbert, Paul and Jordan Hanover, Caroline and Jacob Dunnivant, Evelyn and Alice Gilbert; sister, Eileen “Topsy” Woodson.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 1402 W. Main St., Carmel, IN 46032.

A celebration of life will be held June 7th at 10:00am at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church.