Joseph Evans passed away on Friday night, June 9, 2023, in Henderson, TX at age 90. Joseph Leighton Evans was born on March 6, 1933, in Cherokee County, Texas to the late Herman Ray and Ruby Leighton Scates Evans. He graduated from Troup High School, with the class of 1950, where he played football, basketball and baseball, ran track, and qualified for the state track meet in the mile his senior year.
Mr. Evans attended Kilgore Junior College and then Stephen F. Austin State University on a track scholarship where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He was also the conference champion in the 800 meters and ran on the mile relay which became his favorite event along with the hurdles.
He married Mary Ann Hicks on Sept. 6, 1953, in Nacogdoches, TX. He was an educator and coach for over 64 years spanning 7 decades before his retirement. He coached in Rusk, Hull-Daisetta, Orangefield, Anahuac, Barbers Hill, East Chambers, and Tatum. He coached in 5 state championship football games. One in 1961, in Hull-Daisetta, one in 1976, in Barbers Hill, and 3 in Tatum 2005-2007. Winning the 1976, 2005, and 2006 state championships in football. Joe’s track teams at Anahuac won over 30 invitational track meets in a row including a number of district championships. He was a part of 3 state championships in track at Tatum as well. His favorite events to coach were the hurdles, shot put and discus. Over 12 years in Tatum, he had 9 state champions in the 110 and 300 hurdles which include the 110 and 300 hurdle state records. Joe, along with his son, also coached a 3-time state champion in Beckville, TX the last 2 years of his life from his assisted living home in Henderson.
He was the oldest coach to ever coach in the prestigious Texas High School Coaches Assn. All-Star football game. Joe has been inducted into the Southeast Texas Coaches Assn. Hall of Fame. He was the recipient of the Article of the Year in the coach’s magazine thru the Texas High School Coaches Assn. The Texas High School Coaches Assn. also honored him by giving him the Tom Landry Award, one of the highest honors to be given to a coach. Joe taught math and Sunday school everywhere he coached. He was especially fond of the 1979-1980 football teams at Barbers Hill where he was the head football coach and athletic director.
Joe answered to many names throughout his long career in coaching including Uncle Joe, Coach Joe, Papa Joe, and Daddy Joe, but he is the real Coach Evans. His greatest achievement was that he impacted the lives of everyone he came into contact with. Joe loved his family dearly and enjoyed spending time with them at family meals and fishing at the lake where his grandchildren called him Daddy Joe. He moved to Tatum from Anahuac, TX in 2005. Joe was a former member and deacon of the First Baptist Church in Anahuac and was a member and deacon emeritus at the First Baptist Church in Tatum. He was preceded in death by a grandson, Scott Andrew Evans and his sister, Patsy Ray Smith.
Mr. Evans is survived by his wife of nearly 70 years, Mary Ann Evans; sons, David Evans and wife Becky and Andy Evans and wife Tammie; grandchildren, Nicki Simpson and husband Roddy, Meagan Taylor and husband Jeff, and Jaxon Evans; great-grandchildren, Josie and Eli Simpson, Emily Taylor, and one on the way; nephew, Scott Smith and wife Anita; and niece, Kathy Hawkins and husband Gordon.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 16, 2023, at Mt. Zion Baptist Church near Beckville, TX with Randy Whitley and Trey Clark officiating under the direction of Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Harris Chapel Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1-2 p.m. on Friday at the church prior to the funeral service.
Pallbearers are Art Horton, Larry Prince, Allen Koch, John Best, Tan Williams, Quinton Roberts, John Bender and Doug Chauvin.
Honorary pallbearers are the 1961 Hull-Daisetta Bobcats and all the track and field teams that Coach Evans coached through the years.
Memorials may be made to the Scott Evans Memorial Scholarship, c/o Vera Bank, 165 N. Hill St., Tatum, TX 75691 or to Godlink, 3710 W. Marshall, Longview, TX 75604.
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