By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

BATAVIA TOWNSHIP - Women and children in Clermont County lost a friend in the sheriff's office when Lt. Robert Evans died Sunday.

"He worked very well with other agencies," said Sheriff A.J. "Tim" Rodenberg Jr.

"In particular, he was very, very active with Children's Services and the Department of Human Services and also with the domestic violence task force, primarily through the YWCA. Bob was our link with that and spent a lot of time working with their group and addressing that problem. We'll miss him greatly."

Lt. Evans also was an integral part of the success of the county's Drug Abuse Resistance Education programs.

"He was one of the leading coordinators of an annual golf fund-raiser to benefit Clermont County DARE programs," said Stephanie Wyler of Milford, Clermont County Juvenile Court judge. "It was his baby."

Lt. Evans died early Sunday at University Hospital, four months after finding out he had hemochromatosis - a disorder that results in too much iron in the blood.

The Batavia Township resident was 46.

The native of St. Cloud, Fla., moved to Greater Cincinnati with his family when he was a boy. He graduated from Moeller High School in 1975 and received a bachelor's in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati.

He went to work for the Clermont County Sheriff's Office in 1980 and held nearly every job while working his way up through the ranks "because of his exemplary service," said Rodenberg, who promoted him to commander of the investigative unit in 1997.

"He was just a fine person and a gentle man," Wyler said. "He was devoted to his family. He was devoted to his career and to helping others.

Survivors include his wife, Karen Helton Evans; a daughter, Jennifer, 22, of Batavia Township; a son, Joshua, 17, of Batavia Township; his mother, Jean Evans of Sarasota, Fla.; and a brother, Jeff Evans of Kings Mills.

A special visitation for law enforcement officers is 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, followed by another visitation for law enforcement officers and the public from 6-9 p.m. at E.C. Nurre Funeral Home, 177 W. Main St., Amelia. The funeral is 11 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church of Glen Este, 1034 Old Ohio 74, Batavia. Burial is at Batavia Union Cemetery. Memorials to benefit hemochromatosis research and treatment can be sent c/o Rick Combs, Clermont County Sheriff's Office, 4470 Ohio 222, Batavia, OH 45103.

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E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com