MUBG PHILANTHROPY

Evan Dalgaard Tribute Tree: MU Freshman's bright but too short life memorialized in Mizzou Botanic Garden

Evan Dalgaard was a young man who from an early age thoughtfully and purposefully propelled himself forward to a future in service to others. Kirk and Joan Dalgaard’s middle son was born in 1988 in St. Louis County and raised in Glendale with his brothers, Erik and Bret.

When he was in third grade, Evan was part of a service project to help a young man attend the wheelchair U.S. World Basketball Tournament, an early experience that — in addition to soccer — grew into a personal passion. Evan continued to participate in community service projects through his junior high years and into high school as a member of the Kirkwood Youth Leadership Project, becoming involved with the Missouri Service Learning. In the summer of his junior year, he attended a National Youth Leadership Council training camp for young leaders, and the following year he served as a trainer.

“Evan was just remarkable. He had a strong sense of who he was and what he wanted to do in the world,” said Bruce Dalgaard, Evan’s uncle, a recently retired economist who made his career in higher education.

“From my conversations with him, he was perceptive enough to know that change needed to come through the system. We never talked politics, but he could have been a legislative leader. He was good with people and so well-spoken.”

After graduating from Kirkwood High School in 2007, Evan headed off to the University of Missouri as a Chick Evan’s Scholar to pursue a degree in political science with continued involvement in service learning and leadership preparation.

As a participant on a Missouri Bar Association “Creating Civic Leaders” informational panel that fall, Evan said, “Some people say it’s a selfish reward because you take it upon yourself to help someone else out, but it makes you feel better while you’re doing it.

“I’ve met some amazing people,” he added. “And they are my inspirations and I hope that eventually, I will be an inspiration.”

Unfortunately, a tragic car accident in April 2008 cut Evan’s aspirations and his promising life short.

“I was in Norway when he died,” said Bruce, “I flew home for the funeral. It took five to seven hours to greet the hundreds of people who attended. I didn’t realize how many people’s lives he had touched, how deeply he had affected them.

“I can’t possibly relate to what it must be like to lose a child,” Bruce added. “His parents grieved severely but have survived. I’m proud of them.”

Bruce and his wife, Carol, were moved to create a tribute for Evan at MU and were directed to Joan Smith, MU Landscape designer, and MUBG’s Tribute Tree program. Bruce said that his and Carol’s love of education and nature made the Tribute Tree an easy choice. They selected an oak on the Carnahan Quad, in sight of the Evan’s Scholar Chapter House and Hulston Hall, the MU law school.

“The Tribute Tree and Tribute Bench memorials tie family stories to the story of MU,” said Pete Millier, Director of the MUBG. “Knitting together these stories is part of the fabric of what we do.

“On the day that Evan’s parents came to see their son’s tree, , I was leading the group to the tree,” Millier said. “As we approached, I just about had a heart attack. Right there, stuck in the tree, was a kite. But the Dalgaards started to laugh, saying, ‘That is so Evan. He was mischievous. You couldn’t have staged it any better.’ ”

The wording selected by Bruce for the Tribute Tree memorial bronze plaque reads, His smile continues to brighten our lives. Evan William Dalgaard 1988-2008 The heart of a tiger.

“Evan enriched our lives just as this oak tree enriches its place on campus,” said Evan’s father, Kirk. “Our youngest son Bret, BS ’13 NAT R, found it a treasured space to reflect. The tree is a fitting tribute and will continue to be one of our family connections to Mizzou and the botanic garden.”