Richard Carter Evans

Richard Carter Evans, 94, of Cleveland, Georgia, passed away on April 15, 2020, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center following an extended illness.  Mr. Evans was born on August 13, 1925, in Akron, Ohio to Dewitt and Nora Evans of Gainesville, Georgia.  He was a lifelong resident of Northeast Georgia.  Mr. Evans was a veteran of WWII. 

He left Gainesville at the age of 17 to go to Naval Basic Training at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Chicago, Illinois.  Following graduation from basic training, he went to northern Scotland to train with the British Navy.  This time in Scotland developed a life-long love of the Scottish Highlands.  He could trace his family's arrival to the north Georgia mountains from 1787 and was very proud of his Scots-Irish ancestry. 

Mr. Evans was part of the D-Day invasion of Normandy.  He was stationed on a Naval Destroyer off the coast of France.  During his ships passage back to America, he and his shipmates made and engraved ashtrays out of spent artillery shells used during their support of the invasion.  Following a brief time back in the United States, he was transferred into the South Pacific theater.  He was stationed in the Solomon Islands, Guam, and the Philippines.  He was an eyewitness to history several times during this period; for example, he witnessed the Marines raising the flag over Iwo Jima, and while he was on leave in Japan, Emperor Hirohito signed the peace agreement ending the war. 

Upon returning to the states after WWII, Mr. Evans went to work for the City of Gainesville as a police officer.  He was very proud of his badge, which was number 6.  After leaving the police force, he continued to serve the City of Gainesville working for Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Engineering.   

Mr. Evans retired from the City of Gainesville in 1989.  He then moved back to the Cleveland area to enjoy his retirement. 

Mr. Evans was preceded in death by his parents, Nora and DeWitt Evans; his sister and brother-in-law, Ruth Evans Caston and Don Caston.; and his wife, Viola Nix Evans, who passed away in January 2020. 

He is survived by his children, Dennis Carter Evans of Marietta, Georgia; Richard (Rusty) and Stephanie Evans, of Roswell, Georgia; Elizabeth (Beth) and Thomas Horton, of Gainesville, Georgia; and grandchildren Robert Evans of Marietta; Tanner Evans of Gainesville; Adeline Evans Horton and Emilia Carter Horton of Gainesville, Georgia.  

The family would like to extend special thanks to Martha Trusty. 

In lieu of flowers, the family would request you donate in his honor to the Paul E. Bolding American Legion, Post 7. 

Considering the quarantine, the family will have a private graveside service. 

Cleveland Funeral Home in charge of arrangements