Lois Evans, a speaker and teacher and the wife of pastor and author Tony Evans, passed away Monday, nine months after it was revealed her gallbladder cancer – a rare condition in the U.S. – had returned. She was 70.
“Just before the sun came up this morning, the love of my life, Lois Irene Evans, transitioned from earth and watched her first sunrise from heaven,” Tony Evans wrote Monday in a note posted on multiple social media accounts. “I had the privilege of holding her hand as she was lulled into eternity. Our four children surrounded her as well. As she slipped away, we told her how much we love her, how proud we are of her, and how thankful we are for the life she has lived.
“We are what we are because of her,” he added.
Evans, the pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, and a well-known voice on the radio, revealed in April that Lois’ cancer had returned. He asked for prayer then, and again in October when he announced that chemotherapy no longer was an option in treating his wife.
“Thank you so much for praying for my wife and for my family,” he wrote Monday. “God answered our prayers this morning by relieving her of suffering. But the truth is, He has been answering our prayers all along. Lois lived beyond medical expectations, not once, but over and over again. God has been so kind to give us more time to make wonderful memories.
“While we know the coming days will be challenging, right now we are grateful for the life and love of a woman who planted seeds that will bear fruit for generations to come,” he added. “Thank you for your continued prayers for our family as we grieve, and also for your patience as we finalize our plans to honor her life.”
Priscilla Shirer, the daughter of Tony and Lois Evans, wrote on Twitter, “Goodnight my beautiful, beloved Mommy. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Goodnight my beautiful, beloved Mommy. 💜 I’ll see you in the morning. #Repost from my Dad, drtonyevans
— Priscilla Shirer (@PriscillaShirer) December 30, 2019
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Just before the sun came up this morning, the love of my life, Lois Irene Evans, transitioned from earth… https://t.co/hsXAzkKjrt
Lois Evans served as senior pastor over women’s ministries at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and also as senior vice president of the Urban Alternative and the founder of Pastors’ Wives Ministry.
During her life, she also worked for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Grand Old Gospel Fellowship Ministry and served on the board for the National Religious Broadcasters, NRB Television, and the Urban Alternative.
She was a graduate of Dallas Baptist University and received an honorary doctorate from Eastern College.
She is survived by her husband and four adult children (Chrystal, Priscilla, Anthony, Jr. and Jonathan), five granddaughters, eight grandsons, one great-granddaughter, and one great-grandson.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Cooper Neill
Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
