Macon County attorney Fletcher “Keith” Adkinson died June 19 at the age of 69. Adkinson, a 1969 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, represented corporations and entertainers in Beverly Hills and later in Washington, D.C. From 1974 to 1979, he was counsel to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations where he managed probes into organized crime, labor racketeering and government corruption. Adkinson was national director of Democrats for Reagan/Bush in 1980 and after the election, served on the Department of Justice Transition Team. In 1984 he took on a case to prove Jett Williams was the daughter of Hank Williams. He married her in 1986 and the couple lived for many years in Lafayette. He died while undergoing heart surgery at Vanderbilt Medical Center. The Macon County Times has more on his life.

Knoxville lawyer Edward Calvin Miller Jr. died June 25 at 63. Miller attended the Webb School of Knoxville, the University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis School of Law. He earned his law degree in 1980 and returned to Knoxville to practice in the areas of contract law and Social Security disability law. He was a principal at Miller & Drozdowski at the time of his death. Funeral services were held on Saturday. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association or the charity of one’s choice.

Services were held today for Nashville lawyer David Bruce Lyons, who died Thursday (June 27) at 61. Lyons grew up in Lindenhurst, N.Y., but moved to Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee. He worked for the Knoxville News Sentinel in the early 1980s as the state capitol correspondent. He later attended the Nashville School of Law at night. Lyons earned his law degree in 1994 and began practicing in the areas of juvenile and family law, civil rights, general civil litigation, and tort and personal injury cases. Lyons was a member of St. James the Less Episcopal Church in Madison and served on the board of 202 Friendship House, an alcohol recovery center. Visitation was held yesterday and this morning with a service at noon today. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The 202 Friendship House, 202 23rd Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37203. The Tennessean has more on his life.

Lundy Webb Daniel, 76, died Sunday (June 23) at Baptist Trinity Hospice House in Collierville. A native of Mississippi, Lundy moved to Memphis in 1964 and earned his law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1968. As principal at the Daniel Law Firm in downtown Memphis, Daniel represented clients in the areas of personal injury, workers compensation, medical malpractice, family law, wrongful death and criminal misdemeanors. Visitation will take place at the Senatobia First Baptist Church at noon on Wednesday with funeral services following at 2 p.m. Burial will follow in Bethesda Cemetery. The family requests that memorials be sent to Senatobia First Baptist Church, 317 South Ward, Senatobia, MS 38668. The Commercial Appeal has more on his life.

Chattanooga lawyer and former TBA President Charles J. Gearhiser died Monday (June 17) at 74. A 1961 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, Gearhiser was an original founder of the firm of Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon PLLC, where he practiced until his death. Early in his career, Gearhiser was law clerk to U.S. District Judge Frank W. Wilson, and served in that position during the historic Jimmy Hoffa trial in 1964. He also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee, and then as a part-time U.S. Magistrate. While in private practice, Gearhiser made a name for himself as a prolific litigator, trying over 100 cases before Tennessee juries. His areas of expertise included federal criminal defense, professional liability defense, and product liability, personal injury, commercial and business cases. Gearhiser also has worked to improve the profession, serving as president of the Chattanooga Bar Association, chair of the Chattanooga Bar Foundation, member of the Judicial Performance Program Committee and a charter member of the Tennessee chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He served as president of the TBA from 2001-2002 after serving on the association’s board of governors from 1999 to 2001 and during two earlier stints in 1992 and 1994.

Visitation will be held Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Rd., Chattanooga 37421. A service honoring his life will take place Friday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of Gearhiser’s late wife, Joy. Donations may be sent to 7625 Hamilton Park Dr., Suite 22, Chattanooga, TN 37421.

Memphis lawyer G. Donald Siemer, 81, died June 13 at Methodist University Hospital. Originally from Philadelphia, Siemer served the Shelby County community as an assistant district attorney and public defender. He was also instrumental in establishing Shelby County’s Environmental Court and Drug Court. Services were today at Cherokee Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations be sent to the church at 5340 Quince at Estate, Memphis, TN 38119. The Commercial Appeal has more on his life.

Chattanooga attorney Ralph Russell Armstrong died Saturday (June 8) at the age of 83. Armstrong, the father of 10th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Amy Reedy, earned his law degree and undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and Army ROTC, and was a member of the Hamilton County Bar Association. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church, 3405 Peerless Road in Cleveland. The family will receive friends from noon to 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 2151, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38101. The Administrative Office of the Courts reported the news.

Gayden Drew IV, 60, died Saturday (June 8). A graduate of the University of Memphis School of Law, Drew also attended the University of Missouri Law School where he specialized in mediation and consultation. He practiced law in Jackson, where he was president of the Jackson Law Association. Drew also was active in the community, serving as president of the Jackson YMCA and on the board of the Jackson Country Club. A private memorial service will be held at Memorial Park’s Fireside Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Church of the Holy Communion or Trezevant Episcopal Home in Memphis. The Commercial Appeal has more on his life.

Memphis attorney Etandra Fenae Miller Douglas died last Thursday (May 23) at the age of 41. She was a graduate of the University of Memphis and Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. The visitation will be tomorrow from 4 to 7 p.m. at N.J. Ford & Sons Funeral Home. Services will be noon on Saturday at New Sardis Baptist Church, 7739 E. Holmes Rd. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery in Midtown.

In lieu of flowers, tax deductible contributions may be made to the Camp DeSoto Scholarship Fund in memory of Memphis lawyer Elizabeth Collins, who died last Thursday (May 23) at the age of 50. Checks should be made out to "ACA Camper Scholarship Program" with "Camp DeSoto-Collins" written on the lower left corner of the check. Mail to Camp DeSoto, P.O. Box 432, Mentone, AL 35984.