Dr. John Stanton Evans, Jr.

Taylor Funeral Home of Gibson announces the death of Dr. John Stanton Evans, Jr., age 94, of Forest, VA, who died Wednesday morning, November 11, 2015.

Graveside Services will be held 2:00 PM Saturday, November 14, 2015 in the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Avera, with Rev. Tommy Anderson officiating.

John was born October 12, 1921 in Camilla, GA, and was the son of John Stanton Evans and Elizabeth Burson. He received a BSIA from Berry College in 1942 and immediately volunteered for the Army Air Force, where he became a radioman-gunner for the duration of WWII. He next entered Emory University where he obtained a Master's Degree in physics and met and married Mary Lonnie Dixon, who was completing her Master's degree in chemistry. They moved to Knoxville, TN, where John completed the requirements for a Ph.D in physics. John began his career at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in Hampton, VA in 1952. NACA soon became NASA, and John spent thirty years contributing to the Mercury, Gemini, Viking, Apollo and Scramjet programs.

John is survived by his wife and two daughters; Frances Elizabeth Evans and Mary Jane Adkins (Dan Adkins), a son; John Stanton Evans, III (Dana Dupree Evans) and three grandchildren; Dr. Joshua David Evans (Erin Lewis Evans), Laura Elizabeth Evans and John Daniel Evans.

Taylor Funeral Home, 57 College Place, Gibson, Georgia 30810, 706-598-2301, is in charge of arrangements.