Born in Marion County, KY on June 27, 1930, he was preceded in death by his parents, Lida Glasscock Evans and Samuel G. Evans, and two brothers, George Barkley Evans and William Wallace Evans, Sr.
Joe completed his BS and MS degrees at the University of Kentucky. During two years of service in the U.S. Army, he was stationed in Korea. Joe received his Doctorate in Nutrition from the University of Florida. He joined Rutgers University, NJ in 1959 where for 32 years he taught and conducted research in Animal Nutrition until his retirement as Professor and appointment as Professor Emeritus in 1992. He received the Gustav Bohstedt award for his research in mineral and trace elements. He was a member of the boards of several professional societies and served as Director for the Northeast Section of the American Society of Animal Science from 1980 to 1982. He served as committee chairman for fifty graduate students. He also raised pure-bred Polled Hereford cattle on his farm in Marion County, KY.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Gail Hopper Evans; his daughters, Heather Lea Agosto and her husband, Jim, of Whithouse Station, NJ and Kerry Jo Dillon of Gahanna, OH; four granddaughters, Erin and Sara Agosto and Kaylea and Kendra Dillon; a sister, Ann Evans Settles and her Husband, Kirtley W. Settles of Danville, KY; two sisters-in-law, Ann Evans of Campbellsville, KY and Joan Hopper of Bowling Green, KY and several nieces and nephews.
A celebration-of-his-life service will be held at 1:30 P.M. Sunday, July 3, 2016 at Bosley Funeral Home in Lebanon, KY, immediately followed by interment in Hayesville Cemetery at Beech Fork Baptist Church. The presiding minister will be Dr. David Whitlock.
Pallbearers will be Jim Agosto, Tyler Blythe, William Wallace Evans, Samuel Evans, and Danny Settles.
Family and friends are invited to a reception at the Evans' home following interment.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the U.K. Office of Philanthropy, Attn. Gift Receiving Office, William B. Sturgill Development Building, Lexington, KY 40506.