Dr. Dale L. Evans
Dr. Dale Evans Obituary
Dale Leigh Evans passed away on March 17, 2026, after a long courageous battle with cancer. He maintained a positive attitude throughout his fight and always believed he would beat it. Dale was born on October 17, 1946, in Cleveland, TN, an only child of Broughton and Annas Evans. He grew up on a farm in Lafayette, GA and aspired to be a dentist at a young age. He attended college and dental school at Emory University and married his college sweetheart, Sally Thomas Evans. They were happily married for almost 57 years.
Dale was a Captain in the US Army from 1971-1974 and stationed in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Dale and Sally had 2 children, Elizabeth and David. He practiced dentistry in Covington, GA for 50 years from 1974-2024.
Treating patients was one of the great joys of his life and he was still hoping to return to work even in his final days. He achieved many honors including a Fellow for the Georgia Dental Association and a Fellow of the International College of Dentists. He also served as President of Covington Rotary Club and President of Newton County Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Covington and the Hinman Dental Society, where he served as Master of Ceremonies for several years.
Among dentistry, his other passions included visiting with his children and grandchildren, traveling, playing golf, cooking, and driving his dogs and Sally on the pontoon boat and entertaining friends at the lake. He loved his friends like family and when you met Dale you felt like you had just met your new best friend. He never met a stranger and loved nothing more than telling a good story.
Dale started the crescendo dance club in the 1980s and was part of the neighborhood wine making club and a gourmet cooking club. He was always the life of the party and loved to celebrate whether it was dancing in the living room with friends or at the lake cooking on his fire pit for July 4 or the annual New Year’s Eve party. He had a true gift for making everyone feel special and loved. His smile and laughter commanded every room he entered. As exuberant as he was, he was also deeply grateful for all of the blessings in his life and expressed gratitude often through heartfelt blessings around the dinner table. He was a great listener and advisor to many.
He will be remembered with love and is survived by his wife Sally, his daughter Elizabeth Hardy and her husband Wade Hardy of Macon, GA and son David Evans and his wife Allison Evans of Charlotte N.C.; his grandchildren Jack Hardy, Amelia Hardy, Broughton Evans, Ansley Evans, Crawford Evans; in-laws Clay Thomas and predeceased by Faye Thomas of Durham, N.C. and Suzy and Ed Rankin of Fairview, N.C. and many nieces and nephews and friends whom he considered as family.
Funeral Services for Dr. Evans will be held at 4 o’clock on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church of Covington with Reverend Doctor William B. Wade officiating. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall of the church for visitation following the service. J.C. Harwell and Son Funeral Home have been entrusted with these services.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the below select causes.
Anna's Gift Fund
Anna' Gift Fund was established in 2007 by David & Allison Evans after the loss of their daughter at birth. Its purpose is to support families who are bereaved as a result of the loss of an infant cared for by the Maternity-related units at CMC.
Link:
https://fundraise.atriumhealthfoundation.org/give/275959/#!donation/checkout
Select "Anna's Gift" in pulldown menu.
American Cancer Society
https://donate.cancer.org/?campaign=incentivehubdefaultmedia
Newton County Animal Services
https://www.newtoncountyga.gov/391/Donate-to-Newton-County-Animal-Services
First Presbyterian Church of Covington
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