Evan Contorakes
It is with great sadness that we make the overdue announcement that Evan Contorakes, 60, passed away in Eustis, Fla., Tuesday, July 7, 2020, unexpectedly from COVID-19. This loss leaves his family shocked and deeply grief stricken, which is what lead to the delay.
His sudden passing leaves behind his beloved wife of 33 years, Cheri Dague Contorakes and their children, Katherine Contorakes (Kyle Kurzner) and John (JC) Contorakes; as well as his sister, Pia Contorakes Oliver (Larry); and his sister-in-law, Maria Contorakes (George); his brother-in-law, Keith Dague (Jodi); and his father-in-law, Charles Dague.
He was preceded in death by his father, John George Contorakes in 2001; his mother, Anne Lentzas Contorakes in 2003; and his brother, George Contorakes in 2019.
Evan was born in Washington May 29, 1960. When he wasn’t working in his grandfather’s restaurant, Shorty’s Lunch, you could find him playing basketball, Pony League baseball, tennis or football; Evan loved anything with a ball really. At eight years old he even won first place in the 1968 Punt, Pass and Kick competition, although in his later years he often tried to pass the award off to the unsuspecting as an Oscar.
In the Hillers’ off-season, you could find Evan driving around in his 1976 Camero trying to win the affections of one, Cheri Dague. They had a rocky start when Cheri accidentally spilled a milkshake all over his car, but despite the gaffe the pair went on to date on and off all throughout high school and college. Evan later went on to Texas Christian University to play football, but his time there was short-lived as he suffered an injury and decided to come home to help support his father in the family restaurant. He enrolled at Washington & Jefferson College and graduated with a major in business and economics.
In 1985, Evan moved to Miami, Fla., after his parents gave him luggage as a graduation gift. Once Evan moved to Miami, he and Cheri almost didn’t find their way back to one another when she moved to Virginia for a nursing job. It wasn’t until the wedding of a mutual friend that the two ran into each other, and he convinced her that they belonged together. Evan has been known to recount that “the happiest day of my life was when the moving truck came to Miami with all her furniture, I knew I had her then.” They were married in 1987.
Once in Miami, Evan quickly abandoned economics, instead jumping right into the fast-paced world of marketing and advertising. Getting his start in Turkel Advertising, Evan quickly grew to be a formidable ad man. His strategic thinking and big picture approach gained him enough success to establish his own agency in 1992. Over his career he founded and sold five different agencies and had the fortune to work with a roster of clients including Carnival Cruise Lines, The Four Seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Iron City Beer, Checkers Burgers, University of Miami, GE Lighting, Mellon Bank and many others. Highlights of his career include being CEO of the youngest ad agency to ever create a Superbowl ad and winning a Cleo. At the time of his passing, he had established his most recent agency, The Evans Group, in Central Florida with his daughter Katie and longtime creative partner Alberto Ordaz. While he may no longer be with us physically, his hard-working nature and no holds barred approach is something that lives on in every person who had the pleasure to work alongside him.
Anyone who knew Evan knows he was never one to sit still for long, so aside from a thriving career in advertising he also had many passion projects. Over the years he successfully ran restaurants, a brewery and many rental properties. In his free time he enjoyed listening to Jimmy Buffet on the boat, playing tennis with his foursome, and traveling to Bar Harbor and Marco Island with his family and friends. He enjoyed giving back to the community as a board member of Childrens’ Home Society Miami, Make a Wish, and YMCA South Dade as well as being a youth soccer coach. One of the happiest moments of his life was when he led his son’s team, the Ronin Warriors, to the 2007 SYFSA championship. Evan had an infectious spirit that put him in the center of many rooms, working collaboratively on causes he cared about with people he loved.
While the life he lived was cut tragically short, we are comforted in the knowledge he lived well and made so many cherished memories while he was here. He will be sorely missed by his family and friends. May he rest in peace.
All friends and family are invited to gather from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the time of services, Saturday, August 7, in the Piatt and Barnhill Funeral Home, 420 Locust Avenue, Washington, PA 15301. Interment will follow at Oak Springs Cemetery, 238 Oak Springs Road, Canonsburg, PA 15317. A luncheon reception will follow at 2 p.m. in the Washington Elks Lodge, 138 E. Maiden Street, Washington, PA 15301. Masks are required per the family’s request.
Piatt and Barnhill Funeral Directors, Inc., Charles R. Piatt, owner/supervisor, Andrew C. Piatt, director.
Should loved ones desire to make a donation, in lieu of food or flowers we kindly ask for any donations to be made to Trinity High School Athletic Fund, 231 Park Avenue, Washington, PA 15301, in c/o THS Athletic Director Ricci Rich. But the greatest gift you could give to honor Evan’s memory at this time is to prevent this tragedy from happening to another; please consider getting vaccinated.