Simmons Funeral Home | Orangeburg, SC

Obituary For Mr. Joseph Evan Lefft

Funeral services for Mr. Joseph Evan Lefft, 35, of Atlanta, GA, will be held 12:00pm, Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at St. Marks United Methodist Church, 917 Clanton Road, Charlotte, NC, with interment to follow in Belleville Memorial Garden, 2900 Belleville Road, Orangeburg.

Mr. Lefft will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service.

Joseph “Evan” Lefft, son of Joseph “Ricky” Lefft and Benita Evans Lefft, was born on July 18, 1989 in Fairfax, VA. He departed this life on August 28, 2024 in his home in Atlanta, GA.

At an early age, he was baptized at Francis Burns United Methodist Church in Columbia, SC and was later confirmed as a member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC on April 27, 2003. He was an active member of the St. Mark’s Children and Youth ministries, regularly attending Harambee. At the time of his death, he remained a member of St. Mark’s and attended services weekly at a local church in Atlanta.

A native of Lake Wylie, SC, Evan graduated from Clover High School in 2007. During his time at Clover, he was a teacher cadet and a member of the varsity men’s basketball team. He received numerous awards including the Clover Men’s Basketball Team’s “Best Defensive Player Award” and “Academic Award.” In his senior year, he was voted Best Dressed by other members of his class.

After high school, Evan pursued his B.A. in History at the historic Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where he graduated cum laude and as a member of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honors Society. While at Morehouse, Evan interned with the Minnesota Vikings under the tutelage of Kevin Warren, who has just been appointed the first African-American president of an NFL Franchise. He also interned with the Duke University Athletics Program.

Upon his graduation from Morehouse, Evan was accepted and matriculated to the University of South Carolina School of Law. However, he soon realized that his passion was for entrepreneurship. In 2012, Evan founded Sporrty, a website designed to aggregate sports content from various publications to create a one stop shop for sports fans. In a desire to monetize the data he collected, he formed an athletics apparel company called The Made Brand, later changing the company’s name to Athletic Apparel Without Limits, also known as AAWOL. Evan was uniquely talented in storytelling and his designs gained wide appeal from the public at large, the professional sports leagues and intercollegiate athletics.

As CEO and Founder of AAWOL, Evan forged partnerships with professional teams including the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Minnesota Lynx, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Chicago Bulls fans were especially excited about AAWOL’s partnership, noting that AAWOL’s designs and quality were the best the Bulls had in over twenty years. As a result of his entrepreneurship, Evan was selected as a finalist for the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2018 and 2019.

In July 2023, Evan launched Win., also known as the Win Brand. In the time since, Win. has been immensely successful, selling its apparel both domestically and internationally. Over the course of his career, he procured over ten trademarks including Win., Secure the Win, and Atlanta by Nature, to name a few.

Throughout life, Evan was an avid sports fan. Each year, Evan and his father, Ricky, would travel to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four. He passionately supported his sister Gadson’s basketball career, both in her time as a NCAA Division One women’s basketball player and later in her roles as a coach. A loving and protective older brother, Evan was present for every move-in date, game, and family celebration. He was very proud of his sister Alexis’s academic accomplishments, and he wore his Andover and Stanford t-shirts with pride.

He is survived by his parents, Ricky and Benita Lefft (Lake Wylie, SC); his two sisters Gadson Lefft (Providence, RI) and Alexis Lefft (Los Angeles, CA); his grandmother, Winifred Gadson Lefft (Orangeburg, SC); his aunts and uncles, Valerie and Gerald Harrison (Florence, SC), Aundra Dingle (Hartsville, SC), Joyce and Ronald Jones (Cleveland, OH), Kela and Darrin Thomas (Columbia, SC), Charmaine and Pete Wilkes (Conway, SC) and Crystal Evans (Columbia, SC); cousins, Gerald and Gerrin Harrison, Todd and Garrsion Thomas, Danielle, Donald and Emily Jones, Brantley Evans, III, India Wilkes, and Kori Joelle Hearst; four especially close grand aunts and uncles, Madge and Wesley Hanson and Louise and Eugene Cleckley; a special friend, Neena Kinsey; five other grand aunts and uncles; and a host of extended family from the Robinson, Gadson, Evans, and Lefft families.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Joseph Daniel Lefft, Brantley Edward Evans, Sr., and Josephine Robinson Evans, as well as his uncle, Brantley Edward Evans, Jr.

Public viewing will be held Tuesday, September 3, 2024, from 3:00pm - 6:00pm, at Simmons Funeral Home and Crematory of Orangeburg, 2868 Columbia Road, Orangeburg.

In lieu of flowers, the family plans to establish a scholarship fund in Evan's name at Morehouse College and at St. Mark's United Methodist Church.

Family and Friends may call Simmons Funeral Home and Crematory of Orangeburg.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.simmonsfuneralhome.com

Guest Book

With a heavy heart, I'll miss my friend. A friendship that started when I was with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Evan's long desire to influence children through education. He'll be missed and remembered.

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your in my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time Benitta - Gilbert Cortez

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My deepest condolences for the passing of your son at such an early stage in his life Benitta, it seems he had big plans for his future and was destined to become someone in the sports world, may he rest in enteral peace.

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Evan, you will truly be missed. Sending my most heartfelt condolences to your family and closest friends. -Ciara Masters and Family

- Ciara S. Masters

May God grant you comfort and peace during this difficult time. Prayers to the Lefft family,may God hold you all close as you hold to the memories of a wonderful life with Evan. "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." With Sisterly love, Wanda Reid

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I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of my former CHS student and mentee, Evan. Sending love, thoughts, and prayers to the Lefft family during this difficult time. --Dr. Antwon M. Sutton

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Ricky and Benita we are sending our prayers and sincere condolences in the passing of your son Evan. Curtis and I will continue to keep you both, Gadsden, Alexis and the entire family in our prayers. With deepest sympathy. Curtis & Michelle Joseph

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Ricky, Benita, the Lefft family and the Evans family....we mourn with you...we Love you ...we are so sorry for your loss. Our families have been intertwined since childhood. We are Here for you. May GOD Bless you all. The Roaches

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My deepest condolences to the family. Gwen Smith

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His Spirit will live on thru the lives he has touched....

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Sincere condolences to the family during this difficult time. May the strength of you all's faith carry you through this difficult time. You all are in our thoughts and prayers. Audrey & LaToia McDougald

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Prayers and Condolences 🙏 Harvey Elwood Jr., Staff and Family WOCS 93.7FM, New Perspectives Media Association

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I am deeply sorry for your loss and will be thinking of you and your family. My deepest Sympathy. Pamela Diggins and Family

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Ricky and Benita, please accept our deepest condolences and know that we will continue to keep you and your family in our prayers. Whenever we saw Evan, we were met with a beautiful smile and warm hug. Seeing him grow from a boy to a man has been a joy. We were excited to support him and his business after hearing Ricky proudly share updates. May God comfort you, Gadson, Alexis, your family and all who knew and loved Evan. Tonja and Dietrich Brown

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My deepest condolences and prayers.

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Sorry to hear of the death of Evan. I offer my condolences. May god grant you strength at this time. James Whitehead.

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Sorry for your loss. Valerie R. Stroman (Richland County)

- Valerie R. Stroman

Sincere condolences to the Evan & Lefft family, from the Pontiac Magistrate

- Deneishia Brown

With heartfelt sympathy. Love, Candy & Isabella Moore

- Erica Moore

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Holding you all close to our hearts, GG and Lorie Smith

- Lorie Smith

My condolences to Left Family. Praying God strength. Tara Gates

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My deepest condolences to Left Family Praying God Strength to you all

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My deepest condolences to Lefft Family

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I am devastated by this news. My deepest condolences to the family. I last saw Evan at the homecoming Morehouse College when he was a student and I was an alumni. He is missed. Again my prayers to his Family. —-Dr. Clarence Dollison

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To my Family, So sorry to hear of Evan's passing.Praying for you and family.Love you much.Aunt Liz. Lizzie Miller Robinson

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Lighting this candle for your son, Evan. May his memory and God's grace and mercy always remain with you. Garneda Phillips

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Ricky, Benita, Gadsden and Alexis I am so sorry to learn of Evan's passing. I have warm memories of him as a teen when he participated in our church's youth group. He was a wonderful, kind and gracious young man. I pray that you find peace in the days to come as you treasure your own memories of him. Deborah Scott Holston

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You all are in our thoughts and prayers. With our deepest sympathy. Carl and Patricia McCormick

- Ollie Patricia McCormick

May God grant you comfort and peace during this difficult time. Prayers to your family, may God hold you all close. With sympathy, Alex Love

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In memory of Joseph Evan Lefft

- Letitia Glover

From: Soror Vivian Kellock

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My deepest condolences to Soror Benita and family. May the twin towers of grace and mercy comfort and surround you and your family.

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In loving memory of Joseph Evan Lefft.

- Rance Duke

Sincere condolences to the family during this difficult time. I pray that God grant you peace beyond understanding. Kgga3

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I send my love and a I pray God's peace during this time.

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I am so sorry to hear of Evan's passing. May God grant you comfort and peace during the difficult days ahead. With deepest condolences, Millicent Whitener Dickey

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I am so deeply sorry to hear about the loss of your Evan. My heart aches for you and your family during this incredibly difficult time. I hope you can find some peace and rest in the cherished memories you have of him. Please know that you are in my thoughts, and I am here for you. With heartfelt sympathy, Candy Moore

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Our staff will continue to keep your family in our prayers. We thank you for allowing us to serve your family.

- Simmons Funeral Home | Orangeburg, SC

- Najee Johnson