Lawrenceburg City Judge Chuck Evans, 65, Dies

By Mike Perleberg Lawrenceburg City Court Judge and former police officer Chuck Evans died on Wednesday. He was 65. Photo via Lawrenceburg Police Department. (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – Chuck C. Evans, Jr., a longtime police officer and city judge for Lawrenceburg, died on Wednesday. He was 65. Evans passed away at a hospice center in Edgewood, his family said. Evans had suffered a stroke on November 5, but it was congestive heart failure that ultimately led to his death. “He's been in and out of the hospital for several years now, since he had open heart surgery back in 2010. Then he was diagnosed with diabetes,” son Jeremy Evans said. “He's a very optimistic person and was stronger than any person I've ever met. But after the stroke, we had an idea it may not make it through this recovery. He was just tired of being tired.” Evans had served 40 years with the Lawrenceburg Police Department before he was elected city judge in 2011. Lawrenceburg voters elected him to a second term last month, just days before the stroke put him in the hospital. Jeremy says his father did nothing but good for Dearborn County. “Always had a smile on his face and his daily goal was to make sure he put smiles on people's faces. He absolutely loved his family and the people of the community,” Evans said. The late Evans also had a love for the armed forces. He is credited with helping establish special parking spaces for Purple Heart recipients in Lawrenceburg, as well as jumpstarting the Tom Cochran Memorial Scholarship – named for the Lawrenceburg Police sergeant killed in the line of duty in 2005 – for students at Lawrenceburg High School. Evans was also one of the first people to serve as the officiant for same-sex weddings in Dearborn County when gay marriage was made legal in Indiana last year. “There's no one like him. He's going to be severely missed but never forgotten. He had a huge impact on the community and touched many hearts,” Jeremy said. Services for Chuck Evans have not yet been announced. RELATED STORIES: City Of Lawrenceburg Officially Recognized As A Purple Heart Community