Tom Evans (Vice President)

Celia Thomas (CVHS, Chair) and Tom Evans at the Blue Plaque unveiling ceremony, June 22, 2010,
to commemorate the sinking in 1837 of the first deep coalmine in the Cynon Valley at Abernant-y-Groes, Cwmbach.

We were deeply saddened to hear of the death on Tuesday, 29 November, of T.J. Evans at the age of 94, a founder member of the Society in 1971 and, until his death, one of our Vice Presidents.

Thomas James Evans was born and raised in Aberdare, and for almost all his life lived, worked and enjoyed a long retirement in his home town. His parents, and parents-in-law, were Aberdarians, and as such Tom’s detailed knowledge of the people, the places and the events of Aberdare were legendary. He was a teacher, and was known affectionately by generations of his pupils as Long Tom due to his exceptionally tall stature.

In the period 1929-35 Tom was himself a pupil at the same school as he eventually taught. After a year as a student teacher at the Town Council School, he went to UCW Aberystwyth in 1936 to read Geography, (B.Sc., 1939), staying there an additional year for his Diploma in Education. He married Dilys M. Hughes in 1941, then spent the war, and a year afterwards, in the army, leaving with a distinguished career record, with the rank of Captain. He was very proud of his regiment, the South Wales Borderers, and took part in the D-Day landings seeing active service in France, Belgium and Holland.

His first teaching post was at Ardwyn Grammar School, Aberystwyth (1946-48), but he returned to Aberdare in 1948, where he spent the rest of his career at the grammar school as Head of Geography until his retirement in 1979. Tom enjoyed a long and active retirement and contributed much to the written records of the history of the Cynon Valley. He made major contributions to several Society publications, the last being the chapters he wrote for Cynon Coal (2001).

Though in recent years Tom’s sight and hearing were deteriorating, he nevertheless led an active life, recently attending two celebratory dinners: he was a distinguished guest at the Boy’s Grammar School Past Students’ Dinner in September, where his ex-pupils queued up to meet him and to share their reminiscences; then, he took his place at the History Society’s 40th anniversary dinner which followed soon after, also in September. Again, his presence was much appreciated by those present.

Tom’s knowledge of people, places and events in Aberdare over the last 80 or so years has been truly astounding. The CVHS and we its members will miss him and his expertise immensely, but we will cherish his lasting and substantial contributions to the Society and its publications, which are sure to stand the test of time.

We pass our sincere condolences to his sons David, Richard and Gwyn and the wider family. Tom’s wife Dilys predeceased him in 2008.

A full appreciation of Tom Evans will be published by the CVHS in the near future.

The funeral service, which was very well attended, took place on Friday, December 9th at Llwydcoed Crematorium.