Stan Evans
A friend of Bradley County veterans and founder of the local Sons of the American Revolution chapter has died.
Stanley A. Evans, 79, fought a prolonged battle with cancer; and passed away in his sleep on Monday, July 2.
Mr. Evans was instrumental in the start of the local SAR chapter on Dec. 5, 2003, now one of Tennessee's outstanding chapters and a nationwide leader in growth. Now boasting more than 200 members, it is the largest SAR organization in the state.
Chapter SAR member and past President Claude Hardison, a former Tennessee SAR president, said he and Evans formed a very close friendship after the local chapter was founded in 2003. Driving to an Independence Day celebration in Knoxville Wednesday, Hardison said the two traveled to many SAR events across the nation, and he admired his late friend for his ability to research. "He researched information for more than 200 SAR members, perhaps 300, which is a state record," said Hardison.
In addition to being the first president of Cleveland's Col. Benjamin Cleveland SAR Chapter, Evans was also selected as the Veteran of the Year by the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 25 in 2017, and received the Raymond H. Wheeler Patriotic Award in 2008.
Evans is survived by his wife, Maggie; three sons, and a daughter.
He had two sons with his first wife, and a son and daughter with Maggie.
One son, Stan Jr., lives in Glendale, California, and a second son, Jim, is the manager of a pharmaceutical company in Jacksonville, Florida. Stan and Maggie's son, Rob, lives in Dublin, Ireland. A daughter, Caroline, lives in Henderson, Nevada. He is also survived by a sister, Carolyn Velsor of Longwood, Florida; and several nieces and nephews.
Evans and a sister were raised by his grandmother in Florida; and he graduated from Palm Beach High School. He graduated with actor George Hamilton, and a couple of years after actor Burt Reynolds.
He was in the National Guard after high school; and trained as an aircraft mechanic. He later went to work for Pratt & Whitney building aircraft engines. Evans then enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and after leaving the service was employed for aerospace firms in Maryland and Florida.
He was also a member of Scottish Rite; the Masons; Order of Founders and Patriots; Baronial Order of the Magna Carta; a Kentucky Colonel; Royal Order of Scotland; the American Legion Post 81; Disabled Americans Chapter 25; Cleveland's Vietnam Veterans chapter; and the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem.
In a 2017 interview, Evans said he and Maggie shopped around East Tennessee when looking for a place to retire. They said they visited Maryville and Oliver Springs before settling in Cleveland.
Stan and Maggie were deeply involved with a number of DAV activities, including the DAV Car Show at Bradley Square Mall. Evans also donated a portion of his 100-percent disability allotment to the DAV. Evans was also a member of a Christian group in Decatur, Ga., which works with publishing firms to print Christian material. He was an editor and proofreader, working on more than 85 books.
The cremation service was coordinated by the Neptune Society. A memorial service will be held on Friday, Aug. 17, at the North Cleveland Church of God, 335 11th Street, NE. Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m.; services at 11a.m. Interment will follow in Chattanooga National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hospice of Chattanooga.