Joe Evans, age 89 passed away at his residence Saturday, June 4, 2022 . Joe, a lifelong resident of Florala, was the first of four children born to Hubert Joe Evans and Helen Hicks Evans on May 23, 1933. Joe grew up in Florala and attended schools there graduating with Covington County High School’s Class of 1952 where he and his buddies played football for the infamous Coach Buchanan for four years. This friendship with his fellow teammates lasted a lifetime. After graduation he attended the University of Alabama. As the Korean Conflict escalated he served a tour of duty with the United States Army, being stationed in Colorado. After completing his military obligation he returned to Florala and joined his father in the operation of Evans Funeral Home and Evans Men’s Wear. As a young “available” guy he met and married a teacher from Enterprise who had just completed Troy State Teacher’s College and had taken her first teaching position at Florala City School. Joe and Betty Morgan married and moved into Joe’s paternal grandmother’s home on North Fifth Street where they lived when both of their children were born. They built their dream home on Lake Jackson and in 1970, Joe assumed ownership of Evans Funeral Home from his father. During this time he served several terms as Florala’s Mayor. He also served as President of the Alabama Funeral Director’s Association and served as a delegate from Alabama to the National Funeral Director’s Convention in Pittsburg. Trying his hand at something new, he leased the Big R Restaurant from Mrs. W. B. Stewart renaming it The Hut which was primarily a place for all of his former teammates and buddies to congregate in the mornings for coffee since Joe was notorious for always having “something going on” to the delight and entertainment of everyone. Hardly ever personifying the image of a typical funeral director, his sincere compassion and caring for folks always shown through. After the death of his wife Betty, Joe passed the baton to his son Joey in the ownership and operation of the decades owned family funeral home. Joe and Shirley Simmons Miller were married on July 9, 2013 and even though he passed all of the responsibilities of owning the family business to Joey he still had a hands on presence when he and Shirley were not traveling to see grandchildren, or vacationing at the beach. As the years accumulated his health began to fail, especially in the past several months and Shirley became not only his devoted wife but also his caregiver. Joe was a lifetime member of First United Methodist Church of Florala. A life spent practically 100% in Florala, Alabama… that’s why he called it home.
He is survived by wife, Shirley Simmons Evans, son, Joey Evans, (Suane), their children, Robby Evans (Chelsea) Emily Peek (Xalyn) ; daughter, Jill Stevenson (Chuck) their children, Betsy Farris (Daniel), Charlie Stevenson and John Stevenson. daughter, Gina Stumpo (Mike) their children, Cory Wells, Ethan Stumpo, Megan Stumpo Kessler, daughter, Toni Miller, her children, Clayton Miller and Conner Miller, brothers, Dick Evans (Penny}, and Jerry Evans and sister, Nancy Stroud (Larry), great-grandchildren, Ellie and Joe Terry Evans; Anna and Brooks Peek; Charles Farris and Mason Wells.
Funeral services will be 3:00 p.m. Sunday, June 12, 2022 at Evans Funeral Home with Kevin Holland officiating. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery, Florala. In lieu of flowers donations in Joe Evans' Memory may be made to Cancer Freeze, P.O. Box 92, Florala, AL 36442.
Please join us in remembering Joe R Evans Sr by visiting our Memorial at evansfuneralhomeal.com. Through this site we invite you to share your thoughts and fond memories with our family.
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