HARVEY L. GIPSON SR. passed away July 24, 2024.
He was born February 18, 1931 in Memphis, Tennessee to Raymond Turner
Gipson and Frances Bowling Gipson. He is survived by his daughters Gloria Ray Gipson
Ingle, Mary Ann Gipson Reiter and Ashley Angeline Gipson Horton and his
sisters, Jeanette Lawshe, and Joyce Bernardini.
In addition to his daughters and sisters, he is survived by eight
grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his
parents, his wife Cara Evelyn Gipson; his sisters Mildred Gipson
Snyder, Martha Pevy, Catherine Hudspeth and his brothers Raymond M.
Gipson, Turner E. Gipson, Clifford C. Gipson and James Harold Gipson; one
grandson, Blake Ryan Fryer; and his beloved companion of many years Beverly Gay
Wickliffe. Harvey attended elementary school at Leroy Pope Elementary School and graduated
from Humes High School in 1950. He enlisted in the United States Air Force where
he graduated as a Radar Operator. He was later assigned to and served under
General Curtis LaMay of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) and taught survivor to
Air Force Crews both in the United States and at various locations in Europe
during the Korean War. After being discharged from the Air Force he attended
Memphis State University where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration
Degree and was employed at City Products as an Assistant Controller, and Plough
Incorporated as an Internal Auditor.  He was also employed by W. R. Grace and Company.
Following graduation from Memphis State University
in 1959 he graduated from Southern Law University where he received a Bachelor of Law
Degree in1962, and was earned a Bachelor of Law degree from
Memphis State University in August of 1967 where he served for several years as head of the
Legal Department until he entered into private law practice.
In one of his most prominent cases he
represented the material witness in the case of the State of Tennessee vs. James
Earl Ray who was charged for the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He always
believed that without his client, the State
of Tennessee could not have convicted James Earl Ray. Prior to his death he was
employed as a Child Support Magistrate with the Shelby County Government. He
was a member of Scenic Hills Methodist Church, was a 32nd degree Scottish
Rite Mason, a member of Al Chymia Shriners, a life member of Angerona Masonic
Lodge No.168, a member of Desoto Lodge No.299, a member of Veterans of Foreign
Wars, Variety Club and Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association. He was a formal member
of the Moose Club, the American Legion, The American Bar Association, American
Judicature Society, and Memphis Bar Association. Visitation will be 11:00 a.m. Friday
August 2, 2024 at Harmony Church of Bartlett, 6740 St. Elmo Road, Bartlett, Tennessee;
funeral service at 12:00 p.m. followed by burial with military honors at Elmwood
Cemetery, Memphis, Tennessee.

Bartlett-Heritage Funeral Home & Cremation Center is honored to serve
the family of Mr. Harvey L. Gipson, Sr.