In memory of

John B Evans

In honor of John B. Evans, our friend and long-time colleague at Swisher Commercial, we would like to share a few things about John and how he impacted our community. You might even want to stop by Ann Arbor's Grizzly Peak for a bowl of cheddar ale soup in his honor!

John joined Swisher Commercial as a Real Estate Agent in 2001 after a long successful career as Vice President of Manufacturing in a company headquartered in Chelsea, Michigan. He realized that whether you’re making books or helping property owners and businesses create spaces and communities, it’s not about who you know – it’s about who you can get to know. Whether he was wearing a tailored suit or knee-high rubber boots while slogging around in a soybean field, John sure knew just about everyone. He was instrumental in creating the expansive Swisher presence in Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester, the west side of Ann Arbor and other communities outside of Ann Arbor. John thrived on digging into each community and investing his time extensively by strolling into shops and restaurants to hear the news from friends instead of from a computer screen.

Indicative of his community involvement, John was very active in local government and the Chelsea Hospital Board of Directors. He served two terms as President of the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce and six on the Chelsea Hospital Board. While on the hospital board, John was Finance Committee Chairman, where he led the decision to design and build a new Emergency Room in Chelsea. He was also involved in starting the $8.6 million Wellness Center. He was a member of the Dexter Chamber of Commerce and helped organize the annual golf outing. John was also active with the Dexter School Board and worked on the development of all its building projects over the past 20+ years. With his experience in business and development, he provided advice and assistance to many community businesses and projects.

In 2006, John became a partner and Vice President of Swisher Commercial. His son, Jeff joined him at Swisher in 2008 and they teamed up on projects to bring two lifetimes of knowledge and two unique points of view ensuring that every opportunity is covered. Over the years they built a healthy, diverse list of clients and friends. John proudly served Swisher and the community until he retired in 2019, at which time Jeff continued to honor his dad’s legacy as a highly sought after commercial real estate broker.

John built his home and lived in the Dexter area for 40+ years with his wife, Debi, and his children, Jeff and Jennifer, who attended the Dexter School system. Of great joy to John are his daughter in-law, Patricia, and his grandsons, Tyler and Hunter. Not only did he love to attend their ball games, or just hang out at the lake, he can be proud that now a third generation is enjoying Dexter at the summer concert series, the fresh smell of doughnuts from Dexter Bakery, Hudson Mills and of course Dexter Cider Mill in the fall.

Swisher Commercial brokers, staff and our families extend our heartfelt warmth and sympathy to John's wife, Debi; son, Jeff and his family, and daughter, Jenny.