Gene Evans
With our deepest love, respect, and gratitude for a generous life welllived, the family of Gene Raymond (Hank) Evans of Ruston announces his passing on Feb. 3, 2022, in Tyler, Texas.
Services will be held on Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer at 504 Tech Drive in Ruston, beginning with a visitation in Haskell Hall from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. Burial will be immediately following at Kilpatrick Memorial Gardens under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Ruston.
Hank is preceded in death by his parents, Angus and Ruby Evans of Royston, Georgia, his wife Patricia Chapman Evans and his daughter Sandra Elizabeth Evans, both of Ruston.
He is survived by his wife of 12 years, Molly Evans of Tyler, Texas; daughter, Julie Evans Kyte and husband John Kyte of Ruston; grandson Kyle Carnahan and wife Payton Carnahan of Ruston; grandson Jake Kyte and wife Aubrey of Austin, Texas; grandson, Robert Kyte of Ruston; and great grandsons, Kegan Carnahan and Evan Carnahan of Ruston.
Hank was born on Nov. 9, 1934, in Hartwell, Georgia, to Angus and Ruby Evans. An avid outdoorsman from the time he was young, Hank enjoyed hunting and fishing in the woods and streams of his beloved Georgia. He helped run the family store in Royston, Georgia, where he lived in the childhood house of Royston and professional baseball legend Ty Cobb.
Following high school graduation, Hank traveled to Chicago for work then joined the Army and soon shipped out to serve in the Korean War, learning along the way that he needed to spend all his shipboard time above decks to avoid being seasick. Returning home from Korea, Hank took advantage of the GI Bill and enrolled in South Georgia State College in Douglas, Georgia.
In addition to his college classes, Hank also drove the football team bus for then-coach Bobby Bowden, and met his future wife, Pat, who was a cheerleader. They were married in 1957. An entrepreneur and selfmade man, Hank arrived in Ruston from Palatka, Florida, in the early 1960s and went into the appliance business, selling General Electric and other brand products for the next 50 years. He established a reputation for fair dealing, providing credit to “anyone who needs it until they give me a reason not to,” which allowed many people to enjoy modern appliances despite limited budgets, and for servicing every appliance he sold, even if it was on Christmas Day.
Hank was active in the Ruston community and the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, where he served on the vestry numerous times in every capacity, and he was also a stalwart member of the Men of the Church. Hank’s love for the outdoors continued throughout his life, and he hunted regularly with his great friend Dan O’Neal, fished in the Gulf regularly with lifelong friend and business partner John Tom James, and became an expert at securing a boat to the various oil rigs so everyone could access the best fishing spots.
He played golf at the Ruston Country Club six days a week, skipping Mondays only because the club was closed, and he regularly gathered all the neighborhood children and their minibikes and motorcycles for trips to the clay mines, where he was always the most daring rider in the group.
Hank was a fine dancer, a lover of music, an expert card player, a second father to many, and always ready to lend someone a hand with a project or a need. His generosity, kindness and sense of humor will be missed by many.
The family would like to thank the dedicated doctors and nursing staff at Christus Mother Frances and East Texas Hospice for their kind and generous care during Hank’s illness.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.
