George Roswell Evans

George Roswell Evans died Monday, May 29th. He was born on March 8, 1923 in Morristown, and his parents were George and Kathleen Evans. He was named for his grandfather, Roswell Smith, an architect and owner of East Tennessee Woodworking Company. Mr. Smith designed several Morristown buildings, including the former city hall. Mr. Evans graduated from Morristown High School and attended Tusculum College before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in which he served for 3.5 years. He was a navigator on the B-24 Liberator and was discharged with the rank of first lieutenant. One year of his service was spent on Okinawa and in the Phillipines. After his service, he joined the family business, Evans Book Store, which was founded by his father in 1925. After the business was sold, he worked as a sales representative for Highland Products Company, which was later purchased by the Mead Corporation and finally W.R. Grace. When that business closed, he founded Tenn-Edd Products Company, distributors of school equipment. He traveled across the state for 20 years and made many friends among the state’s educators. He retired at the age of 75. A member of First Baptist Church of Maryville, he had served as a deacon and as chairman of the board of trustees. He was also a greeter at the church for many years and worked in the church’s jail ministry for a number of years. At one time he taught junior boys at the church’s mission on Home Avenue. Mr.Evans was a longtime member of the Maryville Kiwanis Club and had previously been a founding member and president of Lions Clubs in Morristown and Knoxville. He had served on the boards of trustees of the Kiwanis Club and the Tusculum College Alumni Association. Mr. Evans is survived by his wife of 62 years, Juanita Holdway Evans; daughters Emily Evans Lenn and Elizabeth Evans Large; and grandchildren Joseph Lenn, Meredith Lenn Quillen, Nathan Large, and Ethan Large. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Mission of Hope, P.O. Box 22312, Knoxville, Tennessee 37933; to the building fund of First Baptist Church of Maryville, 202 W. Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, Tennessee 37801; or to the charity of the donor’s choice. The family will receive friends at McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, 220 W. Broadway Ave., Maryville on Wednesday, May 31 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. There will be a private family graveside service at Grandview Cemetery. www.mccammonammonsclick.com