Evelyn McCoy Galbraith

Evelyn Galbraith was born on September 2, 1935, in Laredo, Texas, to William and Julia McCoy — one of seven children, with four sisters and two brothers. She grew up surrounded by family, a value she carried with her for the rest of her life.

It was in Laredo that she met the love of her life, William “Bill” Galbraith, after he was stationed at Laredo Air Force Base. They married and built a life together that would span 50 years — a partnership rooted in love, resilience, and an unshakeable commitment to family.

Evelyn was many things: a devoted mother and matriarch, yes, but also a woman of remarkable range. She had an eye for fashion and a genuine talent for sewing, often crafting her children’s clothing herself with such care that they were regularly recognized as the best dressed. She was an incredible cook whose meals had a way of pulling everyone to the table.

While she held many roles throughout her life, Evelyn was perhaps best known for owning and operating Bill’s Landing alongside her husband, Bill — a place that became a gathering spot for so many.

She held her own on bowling and dart leagues. She was, in every sense, someone who showed up fully — in all directions at once.

As a military wife, she moved her family across the country with grace and steadiness, never losing the warmth that made wherever she landed feel like home. In retirement, she and Bill traveled by motorhome, collecting memories along the way — always finding their way back for holidays and the moments that mattered most.

Her home was the center of gravity for the whole family. Holidays, gatherings, ordinary Fridays — Evelyn hosted them all. Those Friday lunches with her daughters and friends, stretching into long, laughing afternoons in her sunroom, were among her most treasured rituals. She had a gift for making people feel seen, celebrated, and fed.

A Catholic woman whose faith was a quiet, steady presence in her life, Evelyn found comfort in prayer and in thinking of others. She lit candles for people. She made phone calls. She kept her siblings — spread between Michigan and Texas — close through visits and the kind of consistent love that doesn’t let distance become an excuse.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William “Bill” Galbraith; her parents, William and Julia McCoy; and her sisters Nancy McCoy Garibay, Rose Alice McCoy, and Elizabeth McCoy Velasquez.

She is survived by her siblings: Cynthia Lingner, Arthur McCoy, and Henry McCoy; her four children, Arlene (Wilkins) Williamson, Carol Corse, Corey Galbraith, and Rita Stem; seven grandchildren: Jessica, Camilla, Julia, Wilkins, Ashley, Brooke, and Carson; fourteen great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild — a family she poured herself into and who will carry her forward.

Evelyn will be remembered for her love, her generosity, her strength, and the particular kind of joy she brought into every room she entered. The laughter hasn’t gone anywhere. It just lives in all of them now.

There will be a private family burial on April 17, 2026 at Roselawn Memorial Gardens , 5350 NW Broad St. , Murfreesboro, TN 37129. Floral condolences may be sent to this address.