Dean Evans

Dr. Dean Ray Evans, age 80, died on Sunday, April 17, 2016, at the Cinco Ranch Alzheimer's Special Care Center, a loving and caring community in Katy, Texas. Born to Philip and Jessie Evans on May 5, 1935, on a farm in Griffin, Texas, Dean was the fourth of seven children. He attended a one-room grade school in Summerfield before the family moved to nearby Troup, where Dean attended Troup schools and graduated from Troup High School. After graduating high school, Dean attended Lon Morris Junior College on a basketball scholarship. Upon earning his degree from Lon Morris, yet another basketball scholarship took him to the University of Houston, where he played for legendary Hall of Fame Coach Guy V. Lewis. After earning a bachelors degree from U of H in 1957, Dean began a long career in coaching, teaching, and administration. Early in his career, he coached and taught at schools in Arp, Pampa, Bridgeport, Houston, and Deer Park. He later earned a Masters Degree from North Texas State University and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Houston. On December 26, 1959, Dean married Jane Edwards, also from Troup, and together they had three children. Dean and Jane were married for 56 years. In 1967, Dean became the men's basketball coach at San Jacinto College, where he would spend the remaining 30 years of his professional career. As a coach at San Jacinto, he helped lead the Ravens to the 1968 National Junior College Championship. He coached such junior college greats as Ollie Taylor, Larry Bray, Ike Mills, Bob Nash, Ray Williams, and Tom Henderson and still has the highest winning percentage of any basketball coach in San Jacinto College history. In 1975, Dean became Director of Athletics and later Administrative Dean at San Jacinto, where he remained until his retirement in 1997. In addition to his professional career, Dean had a passion for history and genealogy. He spent several years diligently tracing his family's roots and eventually wrote a book about it, entitled "The History of the Evans Family." Dean also liked to volunteer his time helping others. He served for 16 years as a member of the Deer Park ISD Board of Trustees, rang the bell for the Salvation Army at Christmas time, coached youth baseball and basketball, and kept the clock or the official scorebook at many San Jacinto and Deer Park basketball games. Mostly though, he enjoyed just being with family, supporting his children in their activities, reading good books, and pulling (often in vain) for the Astros and the Yankees. His wisdom, humor, dependability, and goodness continue to inspire all of us. Left to honor Dean and remember his love and life are Dean's wife Jane; their three children: Karen Lowery, Steve Evans, and Dena Evans; granddaughter Elaine Lowery; sisters June Gillis and Linda Kay Evans; brother Robert Evans; sisters-in-law Margie Evans and Mary Kay Evans; nieces Kim Covington and Dana Keiser; nephews David Gillis, Mark Evans, Greg Evans, and Matt Evans; and many extended family members, friends, colleagues, former teammates, and former players. Dean was preceded in death by his parents, Philip and Jessie Evans; brother Glen Evans; sisters Jean Evans and Joan Evans; and brother-in-law Gene Gillis. A private family burial at Griffin Cemetery in Griffin is being planned for later in the summer as well as an informal celebration of Dean's life at the Family Life Center of the First Baptist Church in Troup. The Evans family would like to extend their gratitude to the staff at the Cinco Ranch Alzheimer's Special Care Center, to Houston Hospice, to the Master Caregiver Company, and particularly to Paul Kariuki, for their attentiveness and loving care. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Dean's name to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org) or the Troup Education Foundation (c/o Joe McElroy, Box 125, Troup, TX 75789).