Visitation: Monday, July 26, 2010 from 4pm - 8pm, Burt Funeral Home, Ft Payne Funeral: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 10am, at First United Methodist Church Burial in Glenwood Cemetery

Wyatt Rufus Evans, Jr, age 80, passed away July 25, 2010, at his home on Little River in Mentone, AL. He was born March 6, 1930, in Dekalb County to Jennie Lee Eidson Evans and W.R. “Samp” Evans. He is preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Betty Jo Martin Evans, his father “Samp”, his mother Jennie Lee, and siblings, Hazel, Wayne, Morris, Jewel, Emmett, and Pauline. He is survived by his children, Lynn Evans, Lee and David Stout, Wyatt Evans; grandchildren, Russell and Dianne Fields, Wyatt Rufus Evans IV, Anna and Chad Shugart, and Jim and Leah Stout; great grandchildren, Wyatt James Fields, Gaines Dyer Fields, Laurel Mae Shugart, and Rowan Ellis Shugart; loving friend Barbara Robison; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law Glenda and Ray Culpepper and Jerry Martin; many loved nieces, nephews and cousins. Reared in deep poverty beside the Dye Branch in Fort Payne during the Great Depression, Wyatt Rufus Evans overcame the disadvantages of circumstances to become a prominent athlete, a college graduate, a successful businessman, and contributor to his community. In the heyday of community sports, Evans became a legend as a football star at Dekalb County High School and later as a star player for the DeSotos, a semi-pro baseball team based in Fort Payne in the 1950s. On an athletic scholarship, he starred at the University of Chattanooga as an offensive and defensive end where he was named a “Little All-American”. Contrary to the collegiate rules, he secretly married his high school sweetheart, Betty Jo Martin, prior to starting college. He hitchhiked back and forth from Chattanooga every weekend when not playing football to see his wife. After he earned his degree he returned to Fort Payne as a teacher and to coach the Dekalb County High School Wildcats from 1952 to 1956. After coaching he worked with Southern Bell (AT&T) as a manager in Montgomery, Selma, Mobile, and Opelika. He returned to Fort Payne in 1967 to become a successful businessman starting Alabama Concrete which he sold after more than 20 years of operation. He continued to operate Cherokee Excavating as well as other investment properties. Involved in the community, Rufus led the fund raising and construction of the existing Wildcat Stadium. He was politically active, coached little league baseball and football and was affectionately referred to as “Coach” by his former players and acquaintances. He was a long time active member of First United Methodist Church and the Robert Purdy Sunday School Class. Most importantly Rufus is known for being a loving husband, a “Daddy” in every sense of the word, and “Pops” to those who loved him most. Services are July 27, 2010 at 10a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Fort Payne, AL. Burial will follow at Glenwood Cemetery. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church Serving Our Savior Fund (SOS), 206 Grand Avenue NW, Fort Payne, AL, 35967. Burt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.