Lewis Evans Obituary

Lewis Wilbur Evans CHARLESTON - Lewis Wilbur Evans, 94, of Charleston entered into eternal rest on December 31, 2022. The family will receive friends between 5:00 and 7:00 PM, Thursday afternoon at the James A. McAlister Funeral Home, 1620 Savannah Hwy.. Service and burial will be private. Wilbur was born on May 27, 1928, in Florence, SC, the only child of Lewis Wilbur Evans and Althea Loadholt Evans. The family soon moved to Charleston where Wilbur spent many hours playing at Mitchell Park, Folly Beach and working at the Gloria Theater. He graduated from The High School of Charleston and attended the College of Charleston both before and after serving stateside in the US Army during the Korean War. He may be the only person to have lettered in four sports while attending "the college". He lost both of his parents in 1953. Later on a lovely freshman at the college caught his eye and he married Yvonne Dufort. There was a reason he was known as "Oilman". After repeatedly feeding Billy McPherson the ball in a city men's league basketball game in 1956, Billy asked, "Oilman, you still want that job (in the ILA checkers' Union)?" He retired after 35 years, during which time he found many a young man good paying employment on the waterfront as checkers and stevedores. (He also found a few of them spouses.) For various reasons many of the black longshoremen preferred to work with him as their checker. Based on his experience with damaged cargo he later worked as a marine surveyor with Lucas and Brown in Charleston. The Oilman was a very good poker player because he knew the odds and often folded his hand. He agreed with Judge Markley Dennis when he ruled in a local case that "Texas Hold'em" is a game of skill, not a game of chance prohibited by state law. He loved most sports, particularly tennis and golf. At the Municipal Golf Course, he was known as "The Pope of the Porch" for his dispensation of advice to all that sought it (and probably some that didn't). He loved his friends at the Muni, including the starter "Shorty" Blake, the director Marshall Ormand, Dolly, Tara, all the other employees (Boykin, Greg, Herb, Preston, Tim, Mr. Bull and Woody) and the Muni girls. He also enjoyed time spent there with Joey Thomas, Robert Bailey, Bill "Doc" Burton, Emmitt Alphonse, Dave Errthum, Harold Petterson and many others. Nicknames he bestowed on some of the regulars included "Nine-hole" Freddie (McMahon), "Charlie Breakfast" (Relyea) and "The Mexican Bandit" (Dave Errthum). One more example: Wilbur was going to a tennis tournament in Hilton Head with three buddies. Two of them were federal probation officers, Ernie Comar and Ed "Chickenhead" Cochran. As they approached the ticket gate, Ernie turned to Wilbur and said, "Oilman, we got a problem. There are four of us, but we only got three tickets." Wilbur said, "Just give me the tickets and when we get to the gate, keep walking." As Wilbur went to hand the tickets to the guy, he fumbled them to the ground. The guy scrambled for the tickets while simultaneously trying to catch a glimpse of Wilbur's buddies. The Oilman had come through again! Wilbur is survived by his wife, Yvonne; his sons, Mark V. Evans (Barbara) and Lewis W. Evans; his grandsons, Mark V. Evans, Jr. (Carolyn) and Harry M. Evans; his great-grandson, Wilbur Rose "Rory" Evans; his sisters-in-law, Bonnie Jane Perry (Bill) and Marie Palmatier (Phil); and his doggie, Stella. He was preceded in death by a son, Timothy M. Evans; his daughter, Colleen E. Petterson; and best friend, Archie Jenkins. Honorable pallbearers he selected are Jack Carter, "Doc" Burton, Emmitt Alphonse, Bill Perry, Abe Brown and Laurence "Cream" Jenkins. His preferred music: The Platters. His preferred speakers on his behalf: Jack Carter, Abe Brown, Doc Burton and "anyone else with something good to say." Arrangements by JAMES A. MCALISTER, INC., 843-766-1365. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston