Randy Evans

Randy Evans was born on September 18, 1951, in Wellington, Texas, to Martin Lee (ML) Evans and Mary Evans (née Wells). He died peacefully on February 27, in Tyler at the age of 72.

Intuitively entrepreneurial, Randy’s career in business began when he would wake up to deliver newspapers before elementary school in Amarillo. Sensing an opportunity, he was soon waking up even earlier to bring personalized doughnut orders to customers along his route for an added fee. While attending Tascosa High School, where he played football, and Texas Tech University, where he forged lifelong friendships as a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, he made money repairing typewriters. In 1974, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, having made the Dean’s Honor Roll, and went to work at a bank in Amarillo. He then took a job at Mercantile National Bank in Dallas after receiving an offer stating, “We’d like to hire you but not your mustache.” This marked one of only two times in his adult life that he was without facial hair. (The other was for an Elvis costume.) In 1976, Randy married. As he transitioned to selling stocks and bonds at Dean Witter, then into commercial real estate, his family grew and, by the time he returned to Amarillo in 1988 to help his parents run their appliance store, he had three sons, of whom he was immensely proud. Moving back to Dallas in 1992, he co-founded the professional employer organization E3 Group, which he sold in 2003. He remarried in 2007 and the couple, along with their poodle Chopper, would later relocate to the small community of Hideaway, where he continued with various business ventures.

Randy’s business acumen and brilliance were obvious; he could casually solve a Rubik’s Cube and, in his sixties, he became a first-time novelist. But Randy was completely devoid of any pretentions, preferring the self-deprecating style of his favorite comedian Rodney Dangerfield with quips like, “I’m not always right but I’m never in doubt.” Likewise, as a Christian, he exemplified the message of Matthew 6:1-4, giving to those around him with exceeding generosity but never looking for recognition.

With a strong sense of hard work, justice, and independence, Randy embodied the values that he associated with the Lone Star State, making clear that he’d rather die in Texas than live anywhere else. For him, there was no such thing as too many viewings of The Alamo or Tombstone; however, he wasn’t too proud to confess an affinity for Legally Blonde. And, like any good Texan, he loved to hate or hated to love the Dallas Cowboys, depending upon the season.

Having been predeceased by both of his parents, Randy is survived by his beloved and loving wife Martha Gene (née Fairbanks); three sons with his first wife Linda Jo (née Davis): Robert (Jen), Cole, and Clay; two brothers Michael (Voy Andrews) and Jimmy (Karen); a niece and a nephew; numerous cousins; and countless adoring relatives, friends, and associates.

The family would like to give a special thanks to the staff at Hospice of East Texas in Tyler, who treated Randy like their John Wayne.

A visitation will be held at Noon on Sunday, March 3, at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 PM the same day.