Larry Andre´ Evans made his first appearance into this world on May 6, 1944 in Searcy, AR and his last on August 29, 2026 at his home in Sherwood, AR. During the last 2 years of his life, Larry struggled with the loss of his beloved independence due to Vascular Dementia brought on by diabetes. He made his final departure with a peaceful smile and a last exhale of breath with his loving daughter, Tonya, & supportive son-in-law, Matt, by his side.

The ‘L’ in Larry could have stood for Loyal. If you were fortunate to be included in his circle of family and friends, you could be assured that if someone spoke against you in his presence, he wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for you. Once you had earned his loyalty, Larry had a gift (sometimes a curse for him) of overlooking your faults and only seeing your positive qualities.

During the first and second acts of Larry’s life, his middle initial ‘A’ should have stood for adventurous. He moved out on his own at 16, joined the Navy at 18, married at 19 and became a Father at 22. Reading, flying, scuba diving, stained glass artistry, traveling, woodworking, playing pranks, fishing, and fly-tying were among his many hobbies during his lifetime. Playing pranks was a hobby he learned from his beloved mother, Lucy Evans. When Larry was a teenage boy, Lucy would take a group of Church youth to the local cemetery, where she’d ask the youth, “Do you believe that if I have you put your hand on the tombstone, you will hear the dead person say, ‘Nuuuthin’? At this point, Larry, wearing a white sheet and hiding behind the tombstone, would rise up saying ‘Nuuuthin,’ scaring all the other teens and sending them running for the cemetery gates. Larry also loved playing jokes on his daughter, Tonya. It would often annoy him that she would fall asleep when he would take her flying. On one trip, as Tonya dozed, he steered the plane into a steep climb and then dropped quickly, creating a brief sense of zero gravity. Tonya awoke terrified and floating in the air! Life with Larry as a Dad was never boring.

When honorably discharged from the Navy in 1966, he used his GI Bill to attend Barber College and to obtain his private pilot’s license. According to his flight record book, he took his last private flight on June 28th, 1987. To pay for these many hobbies and adventures, Larry would often work two or more jobs. In fact, for 30+ years, he worked both at Classic Cutters and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

And finally, the ‘E’ in Evans could have stood for Exceptional. Larry Andre’ Evans was an exceptional human being in almost every way. He had an exceptional work ethic, independence, sense of humor, loyalty, sense of adventure, giving spirit, love of music, and artistic creativity. Above all, he was an exceptional Dad. Tonya feels truly blessed and honored that he entrusted her to assist him with maintaining as much independence as possible, while navigating his final stage of life.

Larry was preceded in death by his Father, Pliny Evans; Mother, Lucy Johnson Evans; Mentor & Friend, Norman Satterfield; and 2 of the 3 Amigos, Wayne Moore & James Victory. Larry is survived by his Daughter, Tonya Evans Hiland (Matt Hiland); Grandson, Evan Hiland; Stepson, Perry Shock; Sister, Sherron Diane Evans Figallo (Joseph Figallo); Nephew, Joseph Evans ‘Jef’ Figallo; special friend, Barbara Jane “BJ” Mann; and many cherished family and friends.

Larry’s family is eternally grateful for all of the wonderful support and care received from various entities, especially from the staff of Gentiva Hospice: Nurse Lindsey, Aide Esperanza/Hope, Chaplain Barry, and Nurse Armenda/Mendy; Cornerstone Caregiving: Mandy, Samantha, Nicole and a huge shout out to Lili/Liliann; and the North Little Rock VA GERI PACT: APRN Rabb, David, Shasta, Mary, et. al.

Family and friends are invited to join us for a memorial service at 3 p.m. on September 12, 2026 at Brockington Church of the Nazarene. Interment will be at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery at North Little Rock.  In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to: Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery-North Little Rock; Trout Unlimited; or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Cremation arrangements by A Natural State Funeral Service 2620 West Main Street, Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076. 501-982-3400. Online guestbook available at www.anaturalstatefuneralservice.com