Stuart Evans, a pioneer in the collectibles business, died January 4 at his home here after suffering a stroke. He was 80.
His death was announced by his son, Joshua Leland Evans, founder of Lelands.com, the sports auction house that grew from his upbringing in a collectibles-minded family. Evans is also survived by his daughter Andrea, and his wife of 51 years, Maxine.
“My father was born the same year as Mickey Mouse [1928] and my mother, the same year as Donald Duck [1934],” said Josh Evans. “They were inseparable on the show circuit for decades, and did some of the earliest collectibles shows.”
Stuart Evans was born in Brooklyn where he was a voracious reader of science fiction and fantasy, and he attended one of the first sci-fi conventions ever held in the early 1940s. After a career in advertising, he began doing collectibles and antiques shows in 1969, and then retired from the “Mad Men” world to form his business, Tiques. For 40 years, he did shows and worked full time in the collectibles field.
Services were held in Puerto Rico on January 7, and will be held in Old Bridge, N.J., on January 11, at 63 Route 34, at 5 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Old Bridge Public Library, One Old Bridge Plaza, Municipal Center, Old Bridge NJ 08857.
