It is with deep sorrow that we announce the tragic death of our beautiful Evan Andrew Greenleigh, of Bethsda, Md. He died in a boating accident in Charleston, SC on April 25, 2026 at the age of 19.
Making us proud came so easy for Evan. He excelled at everything he did because of his inner strength, purpose, grit, and determination. Above all, he always led with kindness and love. Evan was the kind of person who made others feel seen.
Evan attended The Citadel where he was recruited to play on their Division 1 tennis team. He was a cadet in Echo Company, and a Mechanical Engineering Major. He met and embraced every challenge during his “knob” year. Evan exceeded all expectations, both physically and scholastically, being named to the Trustees List for a top-tier academic distinction. The foundational core values at The Citadel are Honor, Duty, Respect. Evan lived those words wholeheartedly, and in doing so, found some of the most remarkable friends. His family was lucky enough to witness the true comradery, friendship, and love those young men had for each other.
Evan had so much love to give and his family meant EVERYTHING to him. His mom Suzanne, his dad David, and his person, his sister, Lily. The four of them did everything together. Weekends were known as “Greenleigh Family Fun Day.” Whether that was going to museums, the zoo, the shooting club, or taking a hike, David made sure they were always together. Evan never tried to get out of it – he loved spending his days with his beloved dad, mom and sister.
When we say family was everything to him, we mean his WHOLE family. He was lucky enough to have an incredible extended family whom he cherished. He made sure to call his grandmother, Meme (Francine) and grandfathers, Pop Pop (Mel), Grandpa (Stephen) and his late Grandma (Judy) all the time, just to chat. He loved being with his aunts, cousins, great aunts and uncle and he wanted nothing more than all of us getting together. Whether it was swimming at Norma and Dean’s house, Shabbats at Gena and Michael’s, trips to LA to hang with his Aunt Monica, or competitive family Pickleball tournaments, he adored being surrounded by family. Sunday breakfasts or dinners were always part of the equation with his grandparents, Aunt Stephanie, and cousin Alexandra.
Growing up in Bethesda, Maryland, Evan also had a huge community of family friends, tennis coaches, teachers, fellow players, and honestly, the list goes on and on. He made an impression on so many and left a permanent mark… he was deeply loved and loved deeply, way beyond his years.
Evan’s passion for tennis started at a young age at Woodmont Country Club. It continued through his middle and high school years at The Bullis School. There he thrived and joined the tennis team. He later began playing at the Montgomery TennisPlex where he continued training for tournament play. He won a spot on the US Maccabi Tennis Team in Buenos Aires, cheered on by his family. He also had an incredible summer when he qualified for Tennis Europe playing throughout Barcelona, Prague, and Amsterdam.
Summers when he was younger were spent with Lily at Camp Iroquois Springs, where he really flourished and grew. Camp transformed Evan in such a magical way. It was there where he started to become Evan; the confident, talkative boy. He always had the BEST summer, and the friendships he made there were so meaningful.
Jewish pride and Tikkun Olam (giving back to his community) were also extremely important to Evan, volunteering his time for Jewish organizations both at home and at college. Evan was incredibly honored to be taking the role of the clerk for The Citadel Jewish Student Association.
This is woefully incomplete.
We know all who knew Evan will keep his memory alive and honor him, doing their absolute best and hugging their loved ones tight. Evan will be so deeply, inextricably missed. His memory will be a blessing to us all.
Honor, Duty, Respect.
A service will be held for Evan at Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington, DC on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 11AM with burial to follow at Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park in Clarksburg, MD. The service will also be livestreamed at the following link: whctemple.org/worship/livestream
Shiva will be held from 3PM – 6PM at Woodmont Country Club. The family will be sitting Shiva at the Greenleigh home on Saturday and Sunday from 5PM – 8:30PM. Services at 7PM.
The Evan A. Greenleigh Memorial Tennis Scholarship has been set up and will be awarded annually to a tennis player at The Citadel. Donations can also be made to The Citadel Jewish Cadet Life Fund. Both funds can be found at the link below: foundation.citadel.edu/EvanGreenleigh
Services entrusted to Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care.