Evalene (Evalena) Johnston Leigon 7-26-1936 to 12-22-2021. Evalena, a well-known artist, passed away peacefully in her Taos home after an extended illness. She was born in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, the fifth daughter of Paul W. and Irene Johnston. Evalena attended Tucumcari, NM public schools, graduating in 1954. Her love of art took her to Chicago where she studied art history and painting under Alexander Zlatoff Mirsky noted painter and sculptor. After traveling to Europe and around the States for a while, she returned to her beloved New Mexico. Good friend, R.C. Gorman encouraged her to move to Taos and, in 1985 she did so with her precious daughters Lilli and Trina Leigon. With her reputation as an oil painter in place, she continued to paint and raise her daughters. Evalena also made a name for herself in unique and coveted painted furniture. She won the "Taos Invites Taos" "Best of Show" prize in 1997 for her beautiful painted bench, "Mysteries of Life". She loved to create! Her ability to put paint to canvas was incredible and exciting. Her oil paintings, watercolors, decoupaged pieces and painted furniture grace the interiors of countless businesses and homes. Evalena is survived by her daughters, Lilli and Trina Leigon, grandsons Devin and Dillon Apadoca, sister Wylene Vinall, nieces, nephews and a lifetime of dear friends. The family wishes to thank Dr. Deborah vanWilligen, Anvoi Hospice, friends, and neighbors who helped Lilli care for her mother. Evalena will be laid to rest in Tucumcari Memorial Park Cemetery. A Memorial Service is pending. Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home. To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com
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About |
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| Name | Evalene Flannery |
| Date of Birth | 1936 |
| Date of Death | December 22nd, 2021 |
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Memorial |
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| Funeral Home | Rivera Family Funeral Home - Taos | |
| Address |
818 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur Taos NM 87571 United States |
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published a tribute .
Sharing a piece of Evalena's work which has a special place in my home and heart. She was so creative and generous of spirit.
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published a tribute .
RIP Evie. Such a beautiful and talented lady that was my Mom's best friend and will be missed by so many, especially in the Art World. She was so very special to me and my family. So wish she would have written a book about her life, it would have been a best seller.
published a comment .
Good bye, my dear friend. I can’t believe we shared our lives for 58 years. You were the sister I never had. How grateful I am you were in my life. Thank you, Lilli for taking such good care of your mother and making it possible for me to connect with her every weekend. I miss you already. I’ll always love you.
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Beloved Evalena was unique, truly in a class of her own. A brilliant artist and art conservationist, she was more renowned as a loyal and compassionate friend. Evalena was fearless, bold, gentle, persevering, passionate in her convictions, funny, and a lot of fun. She is unforgettable, and that quality, combined with her artistic legacy, makes her immortal. Thank you, Lilli, for your loving commitment to your mother at her most vulnerable. A bientôt, Evalena.
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Evalena was a beautiful, bold, funny and caring woman and a deeply intuitive artist. Working in a Taos gallery in the 90s, I both sold and bought her unique and colorful cross collages. No one could resist them or a conversation with her! Both the woman and her work are memorable.
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