Evelyn Louise Bullington

Evelyn Louise (Glover) Bullington passed peacefully in her home September 1, 2023. She is preceded in death by her siblings and beloved husband Jack. She is survived by her children Jack Bullington, Jr (Mary), Diane Robinson (Ed), and Larry Bullington. She was very proud of her grandchildren Jana Kinder (Curt), Elizabeth Monagan (Jerrad), Bryan Bullington, Erin DeLozier (Danny), Megan Lineberry (Brent), Valerie Mastroni (Joseph), Meredith Hall (Nick) and great grandchildren, Jacob West; Kellen Wise; Leo Maiolo; Noah and Cate Monagan; Gillian and Owen Kinder; Brady; Emsley; Lilly & Everly DeLozier; Elijah and Olivia Lineberry; Ross Friend; Joey Mastroni; and happily expected three more great-grands due in the coming year. 

Evelyn was born in Atlanta, on Feb 3, 1925, the younger daughter of six children of Rhett B. Glover and Ruth Henderson Glover. Her family spent summers in Jacksonville Beach and weekends in a lake cottage on Jackson Lake. She met her future husband Jack in elementary school and became his bride on September 19, 1942 at age 17, though many said they were “too young.” Like any young wife in war time, she awaited his safe return while he served in the Navy in the WWII Pacific Theater, but she wasn’t impressed by the tattoos he came home with. Following the war, she was a proud Navy wife who moved with him from station to station and raised her three children. She kept house in Quonset huts in Guam and in base housing in the Panama Canal Zone; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Guantanamo, Cuba. They also lived in private homes in the other duty stations: Brooklyn, NY; Falls Church, VA; Brunswick, GA; San Diego, CA; Corpus Christi, TX (for a second tour); Okinawa, Japan; Pensacola, FL and Orange Park, FL, where Jack retired. Regardless of the far-flung location, she made every house a home, and she and Jack collected memories and lifelong friends from each of these experiences.  

Jack and Evelyn filled their days with music, boating, entertaining, and gardening. Following his retirement, they attended USS Portland and Weather Service Navy reunions and traveled the US widely, and they always brought the party with them. They had a lifelong love; following his death in 2010 after 67 years of marriage, she faithfully visited his gravesite and left flower arrangements for the seasons and special dates. Her steadfast devotion serves as an example to us all. 

Over her many years and many homes, she and Jack made each yard a show piece. She loved digging in the dirt and helping plants grow to make a beautiful home. She was the neighbor who knew everyone’s birthday and their children’s names; she was the honorary grandmother to neighborhood children who knew she would have cookies to share.  When Jack worked as a teacher in Clay schools, she became the default room mother to his students. Evelyn was a lifelong reader and valued education for all her children, who all earned degrees beyond her own formal education. 

The eternal hostess, she never showed up at an event without food to contribute, and even at 98 she provided all her visitors with refreshments, even if they just stopped by for a moment. 

Evelyn followed the Atlanta Braves and watched the Little League World Series every year. She dreamed of playing golf and loved to watch the golfers on the course behind her house.  She believed in keeping a routine, and even kept weekly hair appointments over the decades. 

Evelyn’s great joy was visits from family and keeping in touch with her children and grandchildren (and their children) near and far using her iPad; she loved both sharing their pictures and discussing their latest experiences. She had strong opinions about our decisions, but she never hesitated to tell us how proud she was of us, too. 

Evelyn frequently proclaimed that she didn’t want to reach 100 because it was “just too old.” Though we will miss her, we celebrate those 98 years, and we are so grateful for the blessing of her resolute love and her long life. 

Family and friends will gather at Jacksonville Memory Gardens for a graveside service at 2:30pm on Saturday, October 21, 2023.

To plant Memorial Trees in memory of Evelyn Louise Bullington, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.