Chris Evans passed away peacefully at home in the early hours of morning on March 8th with her husband, Dane, and her two beloved kitties, Jazzy and Django by her side. When she started into palliative care In January, Chris wished to be at home so that she could be close to her cats, and train Dane in the proper art of caring for them - VIPs in her world.
Chris asked only that people celebrate her life and not dwell on mourning her passing.
Chris is survived by her husband Dane, her brother Bob, and his three sons Marlan, RJ (Robert John) and Michael. Chris took a keen interest in the lives of her three nephews. Chris is also survived by her two cats, Jazzy and Django, loving companions over the past twelve years.
Chris was a quiet and private person but with a huge heart. She also loved cats, dogs, and small furry animals, and she had cats throughout her life. She donated regularly to the Ottawa Humane Society and to several cat rescue organizations.
A Celebration of Life service for Chris at Beechwood National Memorial Centre on Wednesday March 25th. A public visitation to celebrate her military contribution will start at 1:00pm. This will be followed by a Celebration of Life service in the Sacred Space at 2:00pm and a reception from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Father Chris Dunn, who married Chris and Dane in 2021, will lead the service. Chris will be interred at Beechwood Cemetery in May when the tulips are in full bloom – her favourite flower.
Dane would like to thank her two oncologists, Dr. Rushton and Dr. Chang, who did their utmost to help Chris in her cancer battle. Also, thank you to the Palliative Care Team led by Dr. Andrew Douglas and supported by the nurses of Saint Elizabeth Health Care. Chris was deeply grateful for their kind and gentle care.
In lieu of flowers donations made to the Canadian Cancer Society or The Ottawa Humane Society we would greatly appreciate .
Chris was born in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan but spent most of her childhood in Shellbrook, Saskatchewan. At age 12 her family left Shellbrook and eventually settled in Regina, Saskatchewan. She attended Campbell Collegiate High School. So, in the course on one year, she went from the small sleepy town of Shellbrook to a huge Collegiate environment in Regina. She was a member of the Poetry club and wrote a number of poems that were published in the local newspaper.
While in High school at age 15 she enrolled in the local Air Cadet Squadron in Regina. She rose to the rank of Cadet Flight Sergeant! Clearly this taste of quasi military life gave her a yearning for more, and Reserve and Regular Force time, and plenty of it, followed. In total (not including her years as a cadet) Christina enjoyed a 34-year military career. She enrolled as a Private (Telecommunications Technician) 4 July 1978. Chris enjoyed several stints in Lahr, Germany in the early eighties. Between courses and exposure to the language and culture, she managed to gain a very solid command of the German language.
Chris transferred to the Regular Armed Forces in January of 1984, beginning her career as a Telecommunications Technician in Nanaimo, BC. Her time there came to an end in 1989 when she was selected for the Officer Training Program at the University of Waterloo where she obtained an Honors Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She graduated 1992, receiving the Governor General’s Silver Medal for highest standing in a bachelor’s program. After completing her Basic Officer Training Course at Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC, Chris’ postings as a Personnel Selection Officer included: CFB Edmonton; CFB Gagetown; CFB Toronto; CFB Borden; Queens University (for an MA in Education); then in various units within the National Capital Region (Ottawa). Lieutenant Colonel Evans eventually retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in February of 2012. From there she transferred to the Federal Public Service of Canada, continuing to serve her country as a civilian until her retirement in 2018.
Chris decided in 2005 that she needed a little more social life and so she took up dancing by signing up for ballroom dance lessons put on by the city. This led her to discovering her love for swing dancing and soon she became an active dancer with the Ottawa Swing Dance Society. She became particularly enamoured with Balboa swing dancing. This became her passion right to the very end. She would travel to Balboa swing dance events throughout the United States. In 2017 she started to hold Balboa dance lessons here in Ottawa and then monthly Balboa dance socials. These led to her building a very strong and close group of dance friends who shared her passion. She was so happy that her Balboa dance socials are continuing to happen even though she couldn’t participate any more.
Chris met Dane at a ballroom dance New Year’s Eve party on December 31, 2014, that he was hosting. Soon after she started attending the ballroom dance studio more and more often and increasingly helped Dane in the running of the studio. In 2017 she and Dane started dating and their love grew from there. In early 2018 she was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer and so her cancer battle began. Dane moved in with her to support her on her cancer battle. Their love for each other continued to grow and they became a deeply loving couple. On June 22, 2021 Chris and Dane were married. She was declared cancer-free in 2023 and her life seemed perfect. But then, in May 2025 her cancer reappeared and she had to mount another cancer battle. She quit receiving cancer treatments in January 2026 and turned to palliative care-at-home for her remaining time. She kept dancing until she became too weak to do so and finally succumbed to cancer on March 8th, 2026.