Obituary: Evelyn Crawford Robertson, Jr.
Evelyn Crawford Robertson, Jr. departed this world on Monday, August 19, 2024, in Jackson, Tennessee after a brief illness.
His funeral service was held on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at 11 a.m. at Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church with Reverend Roscoe Gudger, Jr. in charge. Burial was in the Union Hill cemetery and Dixie Funeral Home was in charge of the professional service.
He was born in Winchester, Tennessee on November 19, 1941, to the late Evelyn Crawford Sr. and Pearl Brewer Robertson, and was the oldest of three boys.
Evelyn began his walk with the Lord at Elcanaan Baptist Church in Whiteville, Tennessee at an early age, and continued to be extremely active in the church until the last three months of his life. At the time of his demise, he was serving as chair of the deacon board of the church.
Evelyn graduated from Allen-White High School in Whiteville, Tennessee in 1959, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science in three years from A & I State College, now Tennessee State University. He continued his education at the university by receiving a Master of Arts Degree in Education in 1969 with a focus in Administration and Supervision.
Evelyn had a great appreciation for education and instilled this focus in his children, grandchildren, and youth in the Whiteville and Hardeman County Communities.
In 1963, Evelyn married the love of his life, Hugholene Ellison of Toone, Tennessee. They celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary November 11, 2023. To this loving union, two children were born: Jeffrey Bernard Robertson of Memphis, Tennessee and Sheila Robertson (Keven) Littleton of Mount Juliet, Tennessee. He was the proud granddad of two grandsons: Curtis Jamael (CJ) Branch and Malik Jamal Robertson, and one granddaughter, Jasmine Jameel Robertson.
Over the course of his professional career, Evelyn provided leadership for numerous organizations. His former professional roles and titles included the following: Hardeman County Educator: Teacher, Principal and Coach; Superintendent of Nat T. Winston Developmental Center, Superintendent of Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar, TN, TN Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (now Intellectual and Developmental Disability), Vice-President of Behavioral Health, West Tennessee Healthcare Inc. in Jackson, Tennessee, and Executive Director of the Southwest Tennessee Development District in Jackson, Tennessee. He served his community by participating in numerous organizations.
His participation in organizations included the following: Life Memberships in the NAACP, Tennessee State University National Alumni Association, National Education Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Charter Member of the 100 Black Men of West Tennessee, the local chapter of the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities (APTA), and the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic ShrineMember of Al-Uzza Shrine Temple #169, in Somerville, Tennessee. Additionally, Evelyn was a Member of King Solomon Consistory #132, 33rd Degree Mason, Grand Trustee – The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge- Free and Accepted Masons, Jurisdiction of Tennessee. In addition, Evelyn was a Servant Leader in the community and previously served in the following positions during the course of his life: Hardeman County Commissioner (1982-1995), President of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, 1994-1995, and board member on the St John’s Community Services Board. Celebrating a Life Well Lived Currently, he was serving as Chair of the Whiteville Rural Rental Housing Authority Board, Board Director on the Hardeman County Community Health Center, Board Director on the Quinco Mental Health Center, and an appointed member of the West Tennessee Mega-Site Authority Board of Directors in November 2021- Ford Blue Oval City Project, Stanton, Tennessee.
Evelyn received awards, recognitions, and citations for his legendary service to the community and the state of Tennessee. Some of the awards and honors include: Certificate Awarded by Harvard University 1991 in Mental Health Leadership; Listed in Who’s Who among Black Americans and Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, Recipient of the 2018 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who; Listed in the Gallery of Legends of the Jackson Tennessee Madison County NAACP, 2018; Recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from TNCO (Tennessee Community Organizations); Recipient of the North Star Award presented by the Hardeman County Commission for Black History; “Living Legend” Award presented by the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Whiteville, Tennessee in 2017; and his most recent and last honor, the Benjamin L Hooks Legacy Award from the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons Jurisdiction of Tennessee in July 2024.
Evelyn was the author of two books: Education and the American Dream, the Allen-White School Story, 1905-1970, and The Robertson Family: Portrait of a Post-Civil War African-American Family, Challenges and Vision 1860’s – Present.
He was the owner of a Century Farm in Whiteville, Tennessee, The Robertson Family Farm, purchased in 1888. He received a Century Farm Certificate of Honor awarded by the Center for Historic Preservation of MTSU in 2004. The Robertson Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, November 2007.
He left an enduring legacy which included love of God, family, and community with special interests in spectator sports, jazz music, traveling, and historic preservation. Evelyn is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Darnell Robertson (2023).
Those left to carry on his legacy include his loving and devoted wife, Hugholene E. Robertson of Whiteville, Tennessee; his son, Jeffrey Bernard Robertson of Memphis, Tennessee; his daughter, Sheila Robertson Littleton (Keven) of Mount Juliet, Tennessee, grandsons, Curtis Branch of Memphis, Tennessee and Malik Robertson of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; granddaughter, Jasmine Robertson of Memphis, Tennessee; brother, James Robertson (Patricia) of Warrensville Heights, Ohio; sisters-in-law, Mary Ann Ellison of Toone, Tennessee and Margaret Robertson of Warrensville Heights, Ohio; and former daughter-in-law, Ruby Robertson of Memphis, Tennessee. Also, he leaves other nieces, nephews, cousins, treasured friends, and his Elcanaan Baptist Church Family.
Courtesy of Dixie Funeral Home, Bolivar, Tennessee.
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