Sara Evans Mourns Death of Dad Jack: ‘I Will Miss You So Much’

Sara Evans announced last week that her father, Jack, died, remembering him on Instagram with a slideshow of photos. Evans began her post with a vintage snap of her father, followed by three photos of her and her dad with other family members.

“Yesterday was a very sad day,” she wrote. “We lost our dad. Jack Evans. He was funny, handsome, and loved by all. Dad, I will miss you so much. And love you always. R.I.P. #everyonelookslikeyou.” Speaking to PEOPLE, Evans shared that her father died on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at age 75, shortly after Evans’ brother called her with an update on their dad’s health.

“My brother Matt called me and said it wasn’t looking good at all and that they didn’t think Dad was going to make it through the night,” she recalled. “Then I just started freaking out, got in my car and drove around and screamed and begged God not to take him yet.”

Evans explained that the call from her brother preceded a text from her stepmom on Nov. 21 telling her that Jack wasn’t doing well. In 2017, Jack showed signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and in 2018, he entered an assisted living home in Dallas, Texas. He had dealt with other medical issues in recent years and Evans noticed that his Alzheimer’s disease had begun to decline.

“We had been planning on going back to see him this year and then COVID-19 restrictions happened,” she shared. “That is another thing that tore me up and tears me up and is tearing me up. And it’s brutal. My stepmother was not able to see him much at all for the last three or four months and I think that definitely sped up his decline, for sure.”

The singer added that no one is ever ready to lose a parent. “It just doesn’t feel right at all,” she said. “You prepare for your parents to go before you, but then when it happens, it’s just awful. It’s sickening. I’m just letting the grief do whatever it wants. It can be very scary at moments. My way of grieving is, I mean, I’m a crier, but I also scream. I just want to scream because I’m so angry. I guess it’s just part of it.”

Evans remembered her father’s spirit, his humor and his looks, noting that “that was the thing that everybody would talk about when I was growing up.”

“It was never not fun to be with him and hang out with him,” she said. “He had such a quick wit. He loved the simple things in life. And he was absolutely gorgeous.” Jack was also the one who helped guide his daughter’s interest in music when Evans sang alongside her siblings in a family band. “He not only taught me how to sing, but he also taught me how to sing harmony,” Evans shared. “He was so proud of all of us and our music.”