Man who was first to marry same-sex partner in Dallas dies

DALLAS - Jack Evans, one of the two men who were first in line to get married in Dallas County after the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling, died Thursday night. The 86-year-old was just days short of his first wedding anniversary.

Evans and his life-long partner, George Harris, made headlines when they tied the knot on June 26, 2015. The couple had been waiting to get married in Texas for nearly 55 years.

“A lot of our friends went out of state or to Canada to get married. But we being Texans, we wanted to hold out for Texas,” Harris said at the time. “I said, well, I hope we live long enough.”

The couple’s church announced Evans’ death on Facebook.

“I'm sorry to inform you that Jack Evans died last night, at Baylor Hospital. As many of you know, Jack had been fighting lung issues for some weeks, and was never able to overcome them. George and I prayed with Jack before his death, and he was definitely at peace at the end,” Northaven United Methodist Church said.

Northaven is working on plans to host a memorial service for Evans.

“Jack was gregarious, funny, a strong believer in social justice, and a mentor to generations of LGBTQ people, and their straight allies. He lived through remarkable social change for LGBTQ people, marveled at those changes, and was a key part in those social changes happening,” the church said.