Donald “Ray” Evans, age 86, of Cleveland, Tennessee, went to his eternal home Thursday, May 12, 2022.
Ray bravely battled Parkinson’s disease for many years. He was a beloved father and grandfather who loved the Lord, his family, and community.
As a proud veteran of the U.S. Army, Ray served as a decoder in Germany where he was awarded a Good Conduct Medal.
Ray was an avid golfer and honorably served as a Ranger at Waterville Golf Course. You could often find him watching a major golf championship on TV during the weekends and incessantly rooting for his favorite golfer Dustin Johnson. Ray and his wife Carol owned Evans Janitorial for 23 years. For fun, they cheered for the Tennessee Volunteers and Atlanta Braves. He and Carol also enjoyed riding motorcycles and would often take long road trips to the Tennessee mountains and Florida beaches. Along with motorcycles, Ray loved cars, especially his 1957 Chevy Bel Air.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 48 years, Carol D. Evans; as well as his parents, Homer and Irene Evans.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Chad and Laura Evans of Anderson, IN; son, Greg Evans of Decatur, GA; granddaughters, Melody and Bethany Evans of Anderson, IN; brothers and sisters-in-law; Jackie and Jean Evans and Ronnie and Bonnie Evans all of Cleveland; as well as nieces, nephews, and many friends.
A celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14, in the chapel of Ralph Buckner funeral home with Reverend Danny Arp officiating. Entombment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens with full military honors. Pallbearers will be David Chase, Jody Evans, Ryan Evans, and Adam Woods. A white dove release ceremony and playing of bagpipes will conclude the service.
The family will receive friends from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday prior to the service at the funeral home.
Flowers are welcome; however, for those who would like to make donations, please do so to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease research. (https://www.michaeljfox.org)
We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Evans family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.