Evans taught an elective English class and spent three years coaching his students after school without any pay. He arranged the desks in a circle, let each student give a speech, and made the oral exam a song.

In class he often said, “Your question?” and would ask a student suddenly to make them think for themselves. He also reminded everyone to wear a helmet when cycling and always carried a thick English dictionary.

Wang posted an appeal on the social platform RedNote. Hundreds of alumni answered, sharing memories of Evans’s suit and tie, his love of photography, and his habit of wrapping hot dumplings for them on a snowy Lunar New Year.

Alumni also recalled singing “Scarborough Fair” and “You Are My Sunshine” in his class. They said he gave them a feeling of family and even took many photos of the students.

Wang tried to find Evans through East China Normal University, Shanghai International Studies University and Zhejiang Gongshang University, but all contacts were outdated. One comment suggested his full name might be Curtis Roy Evans, born in 1953, but this was not confirmed.