Ed Evans

Ed Evans, 80,­­­­ of Auburn passed away Monday, June 28, 2021 at Bethany House.

Born on March 26, 1941 to Laure Juette and Thelma Evans in Talladega, Ala., Ed graduated from Auburn University with a business administration degree in 1963 where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.  After graduation he served two years in the United States Army. He returned to Auburn in 1968 where he founded Evans Realty in 1970 and J&L Contractors in 1981. Known as an excellent businessman, Ed and his son Jeff actively managed both companies until Ed’s death.

A strong advocate of his community, Ed was generous with his time, his talents and his finances. He supported numerous organizations and programs and served in many areas of leadership over the years, including president of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Auburn Industrial Development Board and a member of the Auburn Bank Board of Directors for 29 years. In 2018, Ed and his wife, Pat, were honored with an Award of Distinction as Outstanding Philanthropist by the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence. He loved spending time on the water, boating and fishing, and sponsored the City of Auburn Fishing Rodeo for 10 years.

A loving and indulgent husband, father, grandfather and loyal friend, Ed is survived by his wife of 57 years, Pat Johnson Evans; daughter, Laure Evans Christie (Stephen) of Vestavia Hills, Ala.; son, Jeff Evans (Shannon) of Auburn; brother Jack Evans (Anne) of Daytona Beach, Fla.; and six grandchildren: Caroline Christie Umbach (Swede), Mary Hayden, Hannah and Claire Christie, all of Vestavia Hills and Jake and Katelynn Evans of Auburn.

Visitation with the family will be Thursday, July 1, beginning at 1 p.m. CT at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home and Crematory in Opelika. A celebration of life service will be at 2:30 at Jeffcoat-Trant followed by private family interment.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Tallapoosa County Sheriff Girls Ranch, 174 Samford Drive, Camp Hill, AL 36850.