Lois B. Evans died early on the morning of Jan. 26 at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, surrounded by family. She was 77.

Born in Kearney, N.J., on March 16, 1932, she was the daughter of Elsie and Charles Beauchamp. At birth, her grandmother nicknamed her Sally Blue Eyes. Though her eyes turned brown, the name remained; she was best known as Sally for her entire life.

Sally spent her childhood years in Kearney, in a duplex her family shared with her grandparents. Later, her family moved to Mountain Lakes, N.J. It was at Mountain Lakes High School that Sally met Ken Evans. Though they dated, they did not predict the union that would follow.

Sally graduated from Mountain Lakes High School and began the study of nursing at Simmons College in Boston. Shortly after her studies began, her father died. She returned home to help her mother raise her younger sister. While home, Sally renewed her friendship with Kenneth F. Evans Jr. of Mountain Lakes N.J. They were married on June 13, 1953; it was a 56-year marriage in which their deep love sustained them.

Over the next five years, Sally gave birth to Deborah Elizabeth and Dawn Elise. She was a dedicated wife and mother, and it was not until her younger daughter entered kindergarten that Sally returned to college to complete her bachelor’s degree. Thereafter, Sally became certified as a teacher and began a 20-year teaching career. While her husband Kenneth’s work in estate planning required frequent relocation, Sally was assured of work wherever the family lived.

Sally liked teaching and enjoyed that her vacations corresponded with her daughters’ school vacations. Her primary assignments were at the Brookside Elementary School in Montclair, N.J. Later, she was one of three co-founders of the Saint Dunstan’s School in Providence, R.I. She taught students from sixth to 12th grades.

In the summer of 1963, Sally’s mother, Elsie, found work as a bookkeeper at Our Market in Oak Bluffs. Her younger sister, Charyl worked as a secretary at the Old Stone Bank in Vineyard Haven. These ties to the Island assured summer visits by the Evans family. Sally and her family stayed at the home of a friend in the Martha’s Vineyard Methodist Camp Ground. Within 10 years, Sally and her husband bought a home in the Camp Ground that they called The Cottage. They retired to The Cottage in 1998.

Sally was never one to be idle. She and her husband often began their days at the opening time of Linda Jean’s Restaurant where they found friendship and camaraderie. Sally worked at Mahoney’s Garden Center, bringing with her skills from her most recent job as a “plant lady” for a corporate plant service company. Mahoney’s provided Sally with seasonal work for eight years. Eventually, she sought a position closer to home and found a post at the museum house in the Camp Ground. It was an ideal job for her because she brought to bear her teaching skills while lending a touch of authenticity while she sat, knit and recounted Camp Ground history to hundreds of tourists over the years.

Sally was a gifted seamstress, knitter and craftswoman. However, she will be most remembered for her strength in the face of adversity, her unparalleled dedication to her husband, children and grandchildren and her deep loyalty to her friends. Her quick humor masked the strength that carried her and lifted others until the day she died.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughters, Deborah Reidy and Dawn Evans and their spouses, Jim Reidy and Dale Frank; her grandchildren, Hannah, Katherine and Charles Frank; her sisters Charyl Biggs of Round Rock, Tex., and Jean Johnsrud of Bridgewater, N.J. and their children.

A memorial service was held on Jan. 30 at Trinity United Methodist Church in the Camp Ground. Donations may be made to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, P.O. Box 2549, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.