Wayne Wheeler Evans

Mr. Wayne Wheeler Evans, age 89 of Centre, passed away Sunday, January 12, 2025 at Atrium Health Floyd in Rome, GA. 

A funeral mass will be held at 11 am Saturday, January 18, 2025 at St Michael’s Catholic Mission in Centre, AL, with Father Josh Altonji officiating. The family will be receiving friends from 10 am until 10:45 am at St Michael’s Catholic Mission and subsequent lunch at the church hall. A private burial will take place at a later date in the Georgia National Cemetery.

Survivors include his wife, Ann Louise Bukovac Evans; Children, Annette (Jesse) Seago, Debbie (David) Smitty, Donald Evans; Grandchildren, Elizabeth and Zachary Seago, Benjamin (Julie) and Anna Smitty, Andrew, Kamryn and Sydney Evans; Brother-in-law, Matt (Mary) Bukovac; Sister-in-law, Norma Bukovac.

Mr. Evans was born in Hammond, Indiana on September 4, 1935 to Ruby Bell Evans and was later also raised by Willard J. Hein. In his lifetime, he continued to re-invent himself. Wayne ultimately succeeded in being a soldier and teacher in the U.S. Army, receiving both the Outstanding Instructor Award (1957) and the Outstanding Soldier Award (1959). Wayne was an Arctic explorer who worked with the U.S. Government in Alaska battling wild caribou and preventing Russian spy attempts in the 1950s. He was an accomplished inventor having achieved 19 patents, including some related to television automatic fine tuning, the first 5 screen TV, caption TV, and others related to voice GPS, with exhibitions in the Computer Museum of America in Roswell, Ga. He was recognized for his achievements in Popular Science, June 1970, The Atlanta Journal, and was an award-winning artist featured in the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, NY. Wayne was also an entrepreneur as a part-owner and operating officer in 2 start-up companies, followed by 3 start-ups of his own. He was a licensed aviator who flew an Ultralight plane that he built in his very own garage. Wayne, being a published author of 6 books, told the stories of his amazing life journeys. He was a public speaker who promoted “It’s Never too Late to Make Your Dreams Come True.” He was, as his website promoted, “The Man with More Lives than a Cat” (themanwithmorelivesthanacat.com). Evans was a man who believed in re-inventing himself, learning new things, and inventing solutions to solve everyday and complex problems. He was a devoted husband through 64 years of marriage to his wife, Annie. Not having a father until later in his life, he was committed to being a good father to his 4 children, and a loving and interested grandfather to his 7 grandchildren. Evans moved to Centre in 2023, where he became a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Mission and the Cherokee County Civitans Club, and strived for opportunities to teach, invent, explore, love and live.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Willard and Ruby (Wheeler) Hein; son, David Evans; Sister, Dolores Noland; Brother, Donald Evans; Parents-in-law, Matt and Mildred Bukovac; Sister-in-law, Mary Alvord; Brothers-in-law, Frank Bukovac and Al Alvord. 

The family requests that flowers be sent to St. Michael’s Catholic Mission at 165 Plaza Drive, Centre, AL 35960.

Cherokee Memorial Funeral Home in charge of all arrangements.

www.cherokeememorialfuneralhome.com