Forrest “Tozy” Hurbert Evoritt

Forrest “Tozy” Hurbert Evoritt (1919-2015), a resident of Independence for the last 63 years, died on May 8, 2015. He joined his beloved wife, Margaret Ethel Sealock Evoritt from Trenton, who passed in 1995.
Tozy spent his childhood in Princeton in Mercer County. He was the son of Guy Evoritt and the nephew of Kelly Evoritt, the inventors of the first variable pitch propeller to successfully fly, and that propeller is currently on display in the Aeronautical Museum in Oshkosh, WI. The brothers also built and raced their race cars, one with a dual model T engine connected with a thermoid coupling, one of the first cars to have four-wheel brakes and also invented a corn detasseler.
With that technical family background, Tozy showed an early interest in the Evorweld Machine Shop and Welding family business in Princeton and became familiar with tools, motors, welding and design challenges.
Tozy and Margaret moved to Kansas City in 1946 and he started his career with Butler as a welder, and later, retired from Standard Oil, (as the building supervisor) which was later known as Amoco, then British Petroleum. He also taught welding at Manual Career Technical Center. They had one child, Connie Evoritt Mithelavage, of Independence and four grandchildren, Brad and Greg Risinger and William Edwards, IV, all of Independence and Christiaan Torrez Korsgaard (Nicklas Korsgaard) of Chicago, IL; great-grandchildren, Gregory Risinger II, Hannah, Noah and Chloe Teicher of New York, Matthias, and Sebastian Korsgaard of Chicago; mothers, Florence Brummett Rafiner and Elizabeth George Evoritt, (both deceased); brother, Guy Earl Evoritt (Julia Shew Evoritt) of Princeton; five sisters, Ruth Evoritt Robinson (deceased) of Mt. Pleasant, IA, Nancy Burney of Hoffman OK, Shirley Powers, (deceased) of Lexington, KY, Charlene McCubbin, (deceased) of Lexington, KY, Judy Persons, (deceased) of Louisville, KY; also uncle to Steve Sealock (Janet Hall Sealock) of North Kansas City, Ron Sealock (Carolyn Barber Sealock) of Dolthan, GA, Deanna Brouillette of Bourbonnais, IL, Jennifer Howard of Conway, AZ, Kathy Evoritt Thomas (Guy Thomas) of Fulton and Lynn Evoritt Beeson (Allen Beeson) of South Greenfield; a cousin, Guy Schooler (Pauline Schooler); and an “adopted” daughter, Linda Bellamy White of Edwardsville, IL, whom he loved like a daughter.
Tozy’s military service included both the Marines and the CB’s (Construction Battalions) a division of The Navy and also known as “Seabees.” Tozy was one of 325,000 men serving in WWII with the Seabees, building on six continents and more than 300 islands. Tozy was stationed in the Pacific on the Hawaiian Islands. He was involved in building major airstrips, bridges, roads, warehouses, hospitals (serving 70,000 patients) and housing. Many times they accomplished these tasks under fire and had to defend themselves along with their projects.
After the war, Tozy moved with his wife and infant daughter from Trenton to Kansas City, where the family became members of Kensington Avenue Baptist Church, then later, moving to Independence, brought them to the fellowship of Maywood Baptist Church and then Englewood Assembly of God.
After retirement, Margaret and Tozy enjoyed spending winters between Southern Texas and Arizona. During their many U.S. travels, they visited 48 states including Hawaii and Alaska. For the last 15 years, Tozy had called The Heritage House (senior apartments) home. He made many strong friendships during his time there.
There will be a private graveside memorial service in Princeton for the family over Memorial Day weekend.