Tom Evans Muscles On, Heading for 99

Alexandria, VA — Ask Tom Evans to tell you about his last 99 years and be prepared to listen to what begins as a pretty desperate tale – and then get ready to cheer.

At 98, Tom remains a youthful-looking and animated talker, a “strength conditioning” regular at the Alexandria YMCA, and a man who championed his own life trajectory in spite of a discouraging first three decades.

His wife, Sandra, who met Tom when she was 30 and he was 50, smiles knowingly and gives a warning: “Be ready to meet a man who looks 20 years younger and who loves to talk.” Half-seriously, she added that Tom doesn’t stop talking, dissolving an apprehension that a 99-year-old person’s voice may falter or his memory fail. After all, he is nearly a full century old.

Evans is the picture of good health as he adjusts the weights on the gym’s equipment and sits down to count the pumps as he commences his routine. All business. Over the past 20 years, Evans has kept a log of his use of the various equipment at the YMCA and other gyms.

Tom begins his story by describing his recent flight to celebrate the openings of two In-N-Out Burger units near Nashville. Way back in 1949 in California, he became “first associate” at In-N-Out. He was pleased that his remembrances of those early years were included in the book THE INS-N-OUTs OF IN-N-OUT BURGER: The Inside Story of California’s First Drive Through and How it Became a Beloved Cultural Icon, published in 2023 by the founders’ granddaughter Lynsi Snyder, current president and owner.

“There are two things I’m really pleased about—being In-N-Out’s first associate and being a World War II vet,” Evans said after a pause of reflection.

Born on Feb. 18, 1927, Evans arrived on the cusp of a rough stretch for the country. His early childhood years were somber during the Depression and his parents’ subsequent broken marriage at age 9. He remembers being “a terrible student” and disliked attending school and doing homework. He became a chronic truant and preferred the famous Southern California beaches over a school desk. “I spent hours as a teen on Santa Monica Beach,” he says wistfully, recalling his extended years as a high school dropout without direction.

During WWII there was a program called the Four/Four Plan. Students who were at least 16 years old could attend school for four hours and work at a defense plant for four hours. He jumped at the chance to make some money and avoid school by becoming a riveter at the Douglas Aircraft plant in Santa Monica.

Feeling restless, he lied about his age to be drafted in 1944. He joined the Navy, trained as a radioman, and learned Morse code and electronic circuitry. He was assigned as a radioman to the submarine base at Pearl Harbor. Although he never saw action, he saw many of our nation’s heroes when they disembarked from the submarines returning from patrol.  He said, “The ones who didn’t make it back died without knowing if we won the war or not.”

When he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, he returned to Hollywood High and completed his schooling. He then took advantage of the GI Bill to attend college but, having no educational goal, he remained a poor student. He married and soon had a daughter. He searched for work and was hired as an associate at In-N-Out, his first full-time job.

Although he enjoyed working there, night shifts were interfering with having a more normal family life. He tried several jobs before finding work in aerospace as an electronic inspector. After several months he was assigned to work a swing shift and found that many of the night crew were attending a local college during the day.

He suddenly discovered that getting an education was something he wanted to do, so he enrolled as full-time student at a community college. Eventually, he was promoted and required to work on the day shift.  He continued his education by attending night school and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California when he was 34.

In 1970, after the moon landing, there were massive layoffs in the aerospace industry. A friend recommended that he leave California for the Washington, DC, area where he soon found employment as a consultant. Later, he was hired as a systems analyst at HEW. He retired in 1990.

A current friend of Tom’s – George Hastings, a retired federal judge and work-out buddy at the YMCA – said his 98-year-old pal works out “as if he is 40 years old, and looks to be about 60.”  Hastings, an Alexandria resident, suggested to The Zebra that Tom’s history as a vet and a volunteer might be “a feature story about his incredible good health and physical ability.”

Last fall, when Evans learned that In-N-Out was opening units near Nashville, he thought he might make take Amtrak to see the openings, but there were no direct trains. When In-N-Out learned of his desire to attend the Nashville openings, the company provided private jet service for Tom and Sandra so they could attend the opening of the first Tennessee store in Nashville on Dec. 10, 2025.

“It was the thrill of a lifetime!” The roundtrip was made in one day, courtesy of Lynsi Snyder, the granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder. The one-day turnaround accommodated the medical care needed for Patience, the Evans’ 18-year-old cat.

As we sat in the YMCA lobby area, a young woman heard Evans say that he was turning 99 soon, and she stopped to wish him a “Happy Early Birthday!”

“Thank you!” he called back. He turned to Sandra to say, “Don’t give me a surprise party!”

“Oh, I won’t,” Sandra promised. “And don’t ever surprise me,” she added.

Read more about Tom Evans, in his own words.