Yiling “Jessica” Chen Evans
Yiling “Jessica” Chen Evans passed away on May 1st, 2020, at Serenity House in Santa Barbara, after a long battle with Lupus (SLE), and finally a Lymphoma.
Jessica was born on February 8, 1973 in Miaoli County, Taiwan. She grew up in Taipei City, Taiwan, where she met her husband, Brett Evans, in 1996. They were married in Taipei in 2000, and moved back to Santa Barbara County, where Brett was raised, living in Solvang, Goleta, and finally moving to Buellton in 2009.
After moving to California, Jessica enjoyed taking adult education art and jewelry classes, as well as English as Second Language classes at SBCC. She also enjoyed working in restaurants both in Solvang and Goleta, as a server and a hostess. An excellent cook of Chinese and western food, she always dreamed of opening her own small restaurant or boba tea shop.
Although battling Lupus for 20 years, Jessica was always happy and positive, and met each day’s challenges with a smile. She rarely complained about her pain, and her very funny and feisty personality often left smiles on the faces of everyone she met. She was very kind and caring to her family and friends, and always put others’ needs before her own. October 15th, 2020, would have been Jessica and Brett’s 20th wedding anniversary.
In addition to her husband, Jessica is survived by her mother, Jiang Feng-Eh, Taipei, Taiwan, her two sisters, Regina Chen (Ah Biao), Hsinchu, Taiwan, Tsai-Wen Chen, Taoyuan, Taiwan, and brother Robin Chen, Chongqing, China, and several nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her father, Chen Chun-Yi. Those also grieving her untimely death are Brett’s family, and her many American in-laws throughout the country, and friends across the spectrum of her life.
The family would like to thank all of Jessica’s doctors, nurses, physical therapists and care technicians at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Sansum Clinic and Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital who cared for her recently and over the years.
There will be a memorial service in the Santa Ynez Valley at a later date.