Evan was born in Connecticut on October 7, 1984, first born son of his doting parents, John Peter and Cynthia Currier De Santis. Moving to England in 1989, he spent the next ten years of his early school years at The Oratory Prep School and Shiplake College near Henley-on-Thames, where he developed a love of history, enjoyed playing rugby, and traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East with his family. In 1999, at the age of 14, he moved to Los Gatos, California, where his early achievements were highlighted by rowing with a winning freshman team of the Los Gatos Rowing Club. He later developed great passions for playing paintball, keeping Netflix busy, building computers, playing strategy based computer games, spending time with his many devoted friends, and rabidly following the San Jose Sharks.
His first bout with cancer was at age 15: what was originally thought to be a cracked rib after a rowing competition turned out to be a malignant tumor in his chest. After chemotherapy, major surgery and the heroic efforts by the staff at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto - and with the inspiration of the Lance Armstrong story - he was on his feet, rowing with the team, and back to school with his friends again within 9 months of his first diagnosis. At the age of 17, Evan was devastated by a recurrence and metastasis of the cancer to his brain, which limited his mobility and activities, but never dampened his love of games and sport. After undergoing more chemotherapy, radiation treatments and brain surgery, he turned to art, computer gaming, buying and selling items for others on eBay, and playing paintball to keep active. With the creative and proactive help of his high school and hospital staffs, he was able to graduate with his classmates from Los Gatos High School in June, 2003. Evan continued his education at West Valley College in Saratoga, California, where he studied art and computer graphic design.
In spite of his predicament, Evan continued to find ways to make the best of his limited time in this life by working for HopeLab. HopeLab is a research institute developing innovative solutions to improve the health and quality of life for young people with chronic illness. Early in his illness, Evan worked in focus groups helping developers and producers understand what it was like to be a young adult with cancer, and then later worked as a game tester and consultant in his first (and only) paying job.
In addition to his parents, Evan will be greatly missed by his loving brothers, Tyler, 18, who is attending the US Air Force Academy in Colorado, and David, 11, who attends Saint Andrew's School in Saratoga. The loss of Evan will also be felt deeply by his paternal grandparents, Mae and Leo De Santis of Rome, Italy, and by his maternal grandmother, Berenice Currier of Essex Junction, Vermont. Evan joins his deceased grandfather, Robert Currier. He is also survived by his Uncle Eugene, Aunt Tiziana and cousin Matthew who live in Tuscany, Italy; by his beloved Aunt Shirley, his Uncle Bob, Aunt Pam and cousins Stephen and Kathleen; Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Steve; Uncle Bill, Aunt Vicky, and cousins Bradford, Brian and Bryce, all of Essex Junction, Vermont.
In a personal diary that he kept for the last two years of his life, he expressed his gratitude to the many dedicated and loyal friends, extended family and prayer groups worldwide that supported him, visited him and prayed for his recovery and strength.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made in remembrance of Evan to the non-profit research institute where he worked, HopeLab in Palo Alto, California (www.hopelab.org). HopeLab brings together the hearts and minds of talented, passionate, forward-thinking individuals from science, medicine and technology to develop cutting-edge interventions for young people with chronic illness. The money will be used by HopeLab to help other young people like Evan put their experience to work by actively participating in further research and development.