Evelyn Loveland

Evelyn (Smithling) Loveland, 83, of Jamesville, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 23, 2025. Evelyn was born in Lowville, NY, to the late Anselm and Nellie (Hanno) Smithling. Evelyn grew up in Martinsburg, NY, and graduated high school from Lowville Academy. After graduation, she moved to Syracuse to attend Central City Business Institute, where she studied secretarial skills. While working as a secretary at O’Brien and Gere Engineers, she met and fell in love with a young engineer named John (Jack) Loveland. Evelyn and Jack married in 1963, and their marriage of 54 years was a beautiful love story. They built a house in Jamesville, NY, where they raised their three daughters, hosted Sunday dinners, and created decades of memories of love and laughter for their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Evelyn and Jack enjoyed traveling and visited 46 of the 50 states. They owned a condominium in St. Croix for over 20 years that became a favorite vacation spot for their family and friends. Swimming in the pool, building sandcastles on the beach, rides on Jack’s Sunfish sailboat, and cocktails in the courtyard in St. Croix are cherished family memories for three generations of Lovelands. 

Evelyn volunteered her time to the Junior League, Girl Scouts, numerous Fayetteville-Manlius school events, the St. Joseph’s Hospital Gift shop and the Crouse Hospital Gift Shop. She was a member of two knitting groups where she made and donated lap blankets, baby blankets, gloves, hats and mittens. Evelyn was a long-time parishioner of Holy Cross Church.

Evelyn was known for her quick wit and many one-liners. She was funny, competitive and loving. An adept card player, she loved playing bridge, gin, or euchre with family and friends. She was a passionate sports fan. A sporting event on television and a fire in the fireplace was a familiar scene at her house. She loved to watch the NY Giants, Syracuse University football and basketball, and especially the NY Mets, whom she traveled to see in New York City many times. But, more than anything, she will be remembered as a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother who made her family her number one priority.

Evelyn is predeceased by her husband, Jack Loveland, and is survived by her three daughters: Laurie (Zenon) Werbowsky, Julie (Chip) Gorham, and Deborah (Bill) King, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. 

Services will be held on March 1, 2025, at Holy Cross Church in DeWitt, NY. An hour of visitation will begin at 9:30 am, followed by a funeral mass at 10:30 am. The burial will take place at Oakwood Cemetery after mass.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Hospice Foundation of Central New York, 990 7th North Street, Liverpool, NY 13088.