MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2011 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Lee (35th), Baria, Butler (38th), Fillingane, Jackson (32nd), King, McDaniel, Montgomery, Stone, Turner
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE PASSING AND COMMEND THE JUDICIAL LEGACY OF JUDGE ROBERT G. (BOB) EVANS OF MAGEE, MISSISSIPPI, AND EXPRESSING THE SYMPATHY OF THE LEGISLATURE.
WHEREAS, Robert G. Evans, 13th Circuit Court Judge, died Tuesday, July 13, 2010; and
WHEREAS, Judge Evans was born on January 11, 1949, in Morton, Mississippi. Reared in Smith County, Bob's family later moved to Magee, where he graduated from high school. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Mississippi and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1974; and
WHEREAS, following a private practice, Evans was elected to the office of District Attorney, 13th Circuit Court (Simpson, Smith, Covington and Jasper Counties), 1980 through 1991, after which he was elected Circuit Judge where he served from February 1991 until the present; and
WHEREAS, Judge Evans also served as Chairman for the Mississippi Conference of Circuit Court Judges from 2002-2003; was a member of the American Law Institute and the Mensa Society; and
WHEREAS, sparked by his interest in religions, Judge Evans wrote The Seven Messianic Festivals (which related traditional Old Testament Jewish festivals to Christianity). He, also, authored The 16th Mississippi Infantry: Civil War Letters and Reminiscences published by the University Press of Mississippi in 2002. This endeavor won Evans the Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, General William D. McCain Publication Award. He was chosen to read excerpts from this work at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, a longtime member of Sardis Baptist Church in Smith County, Bob served as a member of the Executive Committee, a Deacon, and Sunday School Teacher; and
WHEREAS, he was preceded in death by his wife, Paula Pitts Evans, and is survived by his parents, Gaynell and Mary Evans of Taylorsville; brother, Mac (Emily); nephews, Zachary and Dylan also of Taylorsville; sister, Wanda Boyles (Mark); nephew, Bret (Kristy); great-nephew, Parker, of Arlington, Virginia; and niece, Bethany Boyles Seal (Jeb) of Hattiesburg; and
WHEREAS, it is with sadness that we note the passing of this Mississippi jurist and respected public servant:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the passing and commend the judicial legacy of Judge Robert G. (Bob) Evans of Magee, Mississippi, and express to his surviving family and judicial community our sympathy.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Judge Evans, forwarded to the Mississippi Conference of Circuit Court Judges and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.