As a teacher in Tennessee State University's health and physical education department, Inez Crutchfield was uniquely placed to take on a behind-the-scenes support role of the Civil Rights Movement. She was a fixture in Nashville's 1960s sit ins, driving students to organizing meetings, bringing them food in jail when they were arrested and reassuring their worried parents. Crutchfield became the first Black president of the Davidson County Democratic Party Women's Club and went on to be the first Black woman to serve as Tennessee's representative on the Democratic National Committee, though never running for political office herself. A funeral service for Crutchfield will be held Sept. 23 at First Baptist Church Capitol Hill. Time to be determined. The Tennessean has this remembrance.

Alabama attorney Matthew Brian Ferry died Sept. 10 at the age of 35. Ferry was born in Chattanooga and was a member of the inaugural graduating class at Belmont University College of Law in Nashville, receiving his law degree in 2013. Following graduation, Ferry relocated to Alabama, where he practiced law at the Porter Law Firm in Scottsboro. A funeral was held last week with burial following in the Cedar Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Jackson County Drug Court Indigent Fund, 102 East Laurel St., Ste. 302, Scottsboro, AL 35768, a cause that was close to Ferry's heart, according to the obituary.

W.J. Michael Cody, a Memphis attorney who represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,  served as Tennessee’s attorney general and as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, has died at the age of 88. Cody a partner at Burch Porter & Johnson since 1961, was instrumental in the legal team representing King during his 1968 visit to Memphis to support striking sanitation workers. Among his work, he successfully convinced a judge to lift an injunction preventing strikers from marching, the Commercial Appeal reports. Cody met with King at the Lorraine Motel not long before King was assassinated on the balcony outside his hotel room. Following King's death, Cody and Memphis pastor James Lawson formed a neighborhood legal services operation to offer free aid to the sanitation workers. That idea expanded into the organization now known as Memphis Area Legal Services, the paper reports. According to the family, a private memorial service will be held with a public celebration of life to take place at a later date.

Jim Sasser, former Tennessee U.S. senator and U.S. ambassador to China, died Tuesday at age 87. He was a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School, practicing in the Nashville firm of Goodpasture, Carpenter, Woods and Sasser after graduation in 1961 until 1972. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve for six years. Sasser, who served three terms in the Senate from 1977 to 1995, was known for his pivotal role in passing President Bill Clinton’s first budget and reauthorizing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to The Tennessean. Sasser also played a significant role in U.S. and China relations during his ambassadorship, notably managing diplomatic tensions after the accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. Former Vice President and U.S. Sen. Al Gore described Sasser as "a man of outstanding character and conviction, a great United States Senator and later an outstanding diplomat in the truest sense of the word," Gore said in a statement. "Throughout his career in public service, Jim represented the best of Tennessee and the best of America. He was an effective leader not simply because he spoke clearly and persuasively about the initiatives he believed in, but also because he listened intently to the concerns, hopes and aspirations of his constituents and colleagues."

In a TBA Today news item last week, the funeral information for Former Judge Anthony Andrew "Andy" Jackson was incorrect. A visitation with the family will be held on Sept. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. CDT at the Clement Railroad Museum, 100 Frank Clement Pl., Dickson 37055, with a Memorial Mass to follow at 2 p.m. at St. Christopher Catholic Church, 713 W. College St.

K.C. Potter, Vanderbilt University's dean emeritus of residential and judicial affairs, died Aug. 26 at age 85. Born in Fallsburg, Kentucky, Potter began attending Vanderbilt's College of Law in 1961 and was employed as an assistant resident advisor. After completing his law degree, he worked as a clerk for the Tennessee Supreme Court, and in 1964, he was admitted to the bar. He returned to Vanderbilt in 1965 as assistant dean of men, and when the offices of dean of men and dean of women were combined in 1971, Potter was named associate dean of the new Office of Student Life. He held that position until 1977, when he was named dean of residential and judicial affairs. “K.C. embodied the values of fairness and respect throughout his decades of service,” Provost C. Cybele Raver said. “His dedication to our students and his unwavering commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive campus environment have left an indelible mark on this university.” In 2008, the Euclid House on West Side Row became the K.C. Potter Center, named in honor of the former dean who had been supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and engendered a spirit of inclusiveness on campus. A celebration of life is planned for May 2025.

Former Judge Anthony Andrew "Andy" Jackson has died at age 74. After a successful career in agriculture, Jackson became a Dickson County Juvenile and Probate Court judge, where he served for 33 years. Those who knew Jackson praised him for his intelligence, independence and fairness and said he made a significant impact on the lives of countless individuals, the Dickson Post reports. Jackson also was instrumental in shaping the state's Juvenile Court Rules and served as a leader in the Juvenile Court Judges Association. Donations in his memory may be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. A visitation with the family will be held on Sept. 13 from noon to 2 p.m. CDT at the Clement Railroad Museum in Dickson, with a Memorial Mass to follow at St. Christopher’s beginning at 2 p.m.

Former Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Director Mark Gwyn, the first Black man to hold the position, has died at the age of 61. Gwyn led the TBI for 14 years and was pivotal in enhancing the agency's capabilities, including the establishment of the Technical Services Unit and Cyber Crimes Unit, The Tennessean reports. TBI Director David Rausch praised Gwyn for his profound impact, stating, "Mark had a profound impact on the Bureau, contributed to its growth and innovation." Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk called Gwyn's death a profound loss for the state. "As leader of the TBI, he was a tremendous resource and advocate for law enforcement across the state," Funk said. "His dedication to the public and their safety in every community was an inspiration to all of us in law enforcement."

Joyce Cassandra Broffitt, former Shelby County Criminal Court judge, died Aug. 23. She graduated from Rhodes College and received her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil. C. Humphreys School of Law. While in law school, Broffitt worked as a pretrial counselor with Shelby County pretrial services from 1983 to 1988. From 1989 to 1996, she served as the assistant district attorney for Shelby County District Attorney's Office. In 1996, she was appointed as criminal court judge for General Sessions Division Nine and served there until her retirement in 2014. She also served as the judge for the Tennessee Court of the Judiciary. Services will be held Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. CDT with public visitation beginning at 9 a.m. at Serenity Funeral Home, 1638 Sycamore View Rd., Memphis 38134. Interment will immediately follow at the Doggett Family Cemetery, TN-59 N, Mason 38049. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, LeBonheur Children's Hospital, Rhodes College or Youth Villages.

Nashville attorney Peggy Mathes died Aug. 4 at age 74. She received her law degree from Nashville School of Law and practiced family and probate law for more than 40 years. She served as Davidson County's first public administrator until her retirement in 2023. Services will be held at St. George's Episcopal Church, 4715 Harding Pk., Nashville 37205 on Aug. 31 at 11:30 a.m. CDT, with visitation prior to the service at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the charity of the donor's choice.