Melvin Evans Leaves a Senior Softball Legacy Across the Mid-Atlantic

March 1, 2026

Melvin Roscoe Evans

Melvin “Blackie” Roscoe Evans, 75, of Norfolk, VA., died peacefully on Feb. 22.

Melvin was a long-time Senior Softball USA player and manager, starting with SSUSA in 2008, playing primarily with Virginia teams.

“Melvin was a sports enthusiast and an avid softball and basketball player,” according to his online obituary. “He was particularly passionate about softball and dedicated much of his time to playing and coaching multiple softball teams.”

“Blackie was a very special friend to softball,” said Fran Dowell, SSUSA’s Executive Director. “Rosalee and Blackie were such a  big part of our trips out east. Always smiling and also that little gleam in his eye.  He will be greatly missed and we send prayers to his family.”

Melvin became manager of the Longshoremen 55s (VA) in 2015. Since his passing, Melvin’s nephew, Kenneth, has assumed the manager role.

Kenneth remembered his uncle with this beautiful poem:

“Melvin (BLACKIE) Evans loved the sound of bat on ball,
The dusty field, the cheers, the call.
A glove in hand, a steady stride,
With teammates always by his side.

The diamond was his second home,
Where friendships grew and legends roam.
Through every inning, win or loss,
He played with heart—no matter the cost.

A Hall of Fame Melvin, earned with pride,
But greater still the man inside.
A smile, a laugh, a helping hand,
The kind of soul who made a stand.

Though the final inning came too soon,
His spirit still plays beneath the moon.
On fields where memories forever stay,
We know he’s still just one pitch away.

So lift a bat and watch the sky,
For champions never truly die.
They live in stories, love, and fame—
Forever part of the softball game.
With Love Kenneth Evans”

Melvin was inducted into the Tidewater Virginia Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Old School Legends (Basketball) Hall of Fame in 2020.

In addition to playing with and managing the Longshoremen 55s, he’ll be remembered playing and co-managing with his wife, Rosalee, on IFA Fifty Plus, also out of Virginia.