Evans

William Hayden Evans, 83, of Clinton, Tennessee, author, journalist, banker, businessman and retired army officer, died Feb. 22.

A native of DeKalb County, Hayden was born June 21, 1931, and was preceded in death by his parents, Haden Holland "Buster" and Alta Mai Caplinger Evans, of DeKalb County, and first wife Margaret Alda "M.A." Boyce Evans.

He is survived by wife Valeda Joyce Evans; son, Boyce Hayden Evans and wife Teresa of Clinton; son, John Williams Evans of Clinton; daughter, Anne Margaret Evans Moyer and husband, Randolph of Chesapeake, Va; grandsons, John Hayden Evans and wife Kelli, William Evans and wife Brittany, Randolph Moyer, Jr., and Jake Moyer; granddaughter, Margaret Anne "Maggie" Moyer; great granddaughter, Sarah Evans, great grandson, Hayden Daniel Evans; brother, Edgar Royce Evans and wife JoAnn of DeKalb County, and several nephews, nieces and cousins.

Hayden received the Master of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees from Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. He also attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee. He was a graduate of Gordonsville High School, Gordonsville, Tennessee; a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; a graduate of the Management School of Banking Marketing, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, and a graduate of the Tennessee School of Bank Trust, Vanderbilt University, Nashville. He taught history in the evening schools of the University of Maryland in Seoul, South Korea and the University of Kentucky at Fort Knox.

Hayden retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, Armor Branch, after a 20-year active duty career. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with one oak leaf cluster for combat action in 1968 with the cavalry squadron of the First Infantry Division (Big Red One).

Upon retirement from the Army, Hayden was employed as a trust officer by Union Peoples Bank (later First American Bank and currently Regions Bank) in Anderson County. He attained the position of Senior Vice President and upon retirement from First American was a Regional Manager.

After retiring from First American in 1989, Hayden co-founded Creative Writing Services and Publishing Company, which was sold in 1994. He then became director of communications for Temp Systems Inc., a temporary personnel staffing service. He was a columnist and correspondent for the Roane County News, a columnist for Senior Living Newspaper and a frequent contributor to the Middle Tennessee Times and the Carthage Courier newspapers, and insideandersoncounty.com as well other publications. He was the author of Turning Ground a book about life in rural Middle Tennessee during the first half of the Twentieth Century.

A member of Memorial United Methodist Church of Clinton, Hayden served the church in many capacities including trustee, the administrative board and chairman of the staff/parish committee.

Hayden was a member of several civic and professional organizations in Knoxville, Anderson County and Roane County. He was chairman of the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce twice and a member of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and the Roane County Chamber. He served as interim president of the Roane County Chamber during its search for a new president in 1981. He was co-founder and longtime board member of the Oak Ridge based Tennessee Mountain Writers, Inc.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Memorial United Methodist Church, 323 North Main Street, Clinton, Tennessee or to Tennessee Mountain Writers, Inc., P.O. Box 5435, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-5435.

Funeral service, along with military service, will be held at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton on Saturday, February 28 at 1:00 PM. Family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Graveside service will follow at 4 p.m. CST at Salem Cemetery in Liberty.

Holley-Gamble Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. www.holleygamblefh.com