Celeb Pastor Tony Evans Writes Heartfelt Post After Wife Passes Away to Watch ‘Her First Sunrise From Heaven’

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Celebrity pastor Tony Evans has lost his wife of 49 years. Lois Evans lost her battle with cancer at the age of 70 on Dec. 30, 2019, while holding her husband’s hand.

Tony, of the Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, shared his family’s sad news on Facebook. “Just before the sun came up this morning, the love of my life, Lois Irene Evans, transitioned from earth and watched her first sunrise from heaven,” Tony began.

“I had the privilege of holding her hand as she was lulled into eternity,” the pastor continued. “Our four children surrounded her as well. As she slipped away, we told her how much we love her, how proud we are of her, and how thankful we are for the life she has lived.”

Comments flooded in from thousands of followers wishing to share messages of love, condolences, and even memories of the late pastor’s wife.

“This chokes me up for so many reasons,” one person wrote, “for your family’s loss, Dr. Evans your personal loss, and for the beauty of a marriage lived well, faithfully, and gospel-centered until the end.”

“She was truly a great woman of God,” wrote another, going on to share a fond memory of Lois. “Many years ago she did a mother’s day sermon that will always be imprinted on my life. Lois said, ‘Even on your worst day, just keep walking.’ I needed those words then as much as I do now.”

According to WFAA, Lois was in remission from her first bout of gall bladder cancer until April 2019, when the Evans family announced that the cancer had returned. The family remained open with their followers throughout Lois’s illness, both on social media and with their church.

“Lois lived beyond medical expectations, not once, but over and over again,” Tony posted on Facebook, sharing the family’s gratitude for their last months with Lois. “God has been so kind to give us more time to make wonderful memories.”

Tony and Lois’s four children—Priscilla Shirer, Chrystal Hurst, Anthony Jr. Evans, and Jonathan Evans—all remain active in the Christian faith and are drawing upon their shared belief in a higher power to endure the loss of their mother. They are also able to remember her for her profound impact on both their family and the ministry.

Tony and Lois, who married in 1970, also had 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren together.

According to her biography, Lois was a senior pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church and also served as the senior vice president of the Pastors’ Wives Ministry. Lois was recognized as a philanthropist in her community, even receiving the Good Samaritan Award from Dallas Baptist University for “outstanding Christian service to the community” in 1995.

Lois was widely traveled, as well as an accomplished singer and piano player. The Evans family held her funeral on Jan. 6, 2020, at their flagship Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church.

“While we know the coming days will be challenging,” Tony shared with his Facebook followers, “right now we are grateful for the life and love of a woman who planted seeds that will bear fruit for generations to come.”

The pastor then thanked his community for their prayers. “We are what we are because of her,” he said.