Miller Bruce Sullivan died Jan. 15 at age 25. A Knoxville native, he graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville with a degree in political science and religious studies, going on to law school at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. In October, he celebrated passing the Tennessee Bar Exam and joined the Cole Law Group in Brentwood. Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m. EST on Jan. 25, at Fountain City Presbyterian Church, 500 Hotel Rd., Knoxville 37918, followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m. The memorial service will be livestreamed on the church's Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either UT UKirk Campus Ministry or The National Epilepsy Foundation.

James William "Bill" Stinnett Jr. died Tuesday at age 96. A U.S. Navy veteran, Stinnett served as city judge in Ashland City until his death, possibly making him the oldest serving judge in Tennessee until his recent illness, according to the Tennessean. He earned his law degree from YMCA Night Law School (now Nashville School of Law [NSL]) and in 2012, he and his partner, Bill Wilkinson, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from NSL. The family will receive visitors from 4-6 p.m. CST on Monday and on Tuesday from 10 a.m. until noon at Cheatham County Funeral Home, 117 Elizabeth St., Ashland City 37015. Services will be held Tuesday at noon in the funeral home's chapel, with burial to follow at EverRest of Cheatham in Pleasant View. Donations may be made to Shriners Hospital or St. Jude Children's Hospital. 

Doyle E. Richardson died Dec. 28, 2024, at age 89. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1957 and entered Vanderbilt Law School that same year. In 1958, he was called to active military service and assigned to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Among his duties was vetting German scientists brought to the U.S. to work in the rocket program. After completing military service, Richardson re-entered law school and graduated in 1964. He practiced law at several Tullahoma firms, was mayor of Tullahoma from 1986-1987 and served as a member of the TBA Board of Governors. Visitation will be Jan. 3 from 5-8 p.m. CST at Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home, 401 N Jackson St., Tullahoma 37388. A memorial service will be held Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. at First Christian Church, 120 West Grundy St., Tullahoma 37388. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the George W. Malcolm Cemetery, 3725 Old Monroe Madison Hwy., Madison, GA 30650 or First Christian Church.

Carey Jerome Thompson, assistant district attorney general in the 23rd Judicial District, died Dec. 11 after a two year battle with glioblastoma. He graduated from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1985 and began his tenure in the district attorney general's office in 1998. Services were held Dec. 20 in Dickson. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Dickson Arts Council or First Presbyterian Church of Dickson.

William Neil Griffin Sr. died Dec. 18 at age 80. He graduated from Baylor University and received his law degree from what was then Memphis State University School of Law. Griffin began his real estate law practice in 1969 as an associate with Matthews & Matthews. He continued his practice for over 50 years with the firm Griffin, Clift, Everton & Maschmeyer PLLC. He was also a land developer, home builder and a banker with acquisitions of three community banks in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. A memorial service will be held at Independent Presbyterian Church, 4738 Walnut Grove Rd., Memphis 38117 on Jan. 3, 2025, at 2 p.m. CST, with visitation from 1-2 p.m. and a reception after the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations may be made to the Mid-South Parkinson's Disease Foundation and Support Group, Independent Presbyterian Church and Baylor University.

Former President Jimmy Carter died Sunday at age 100. His legacy had a lasting impact in Tennessee, where his work with Habitat for Humanity and his influence on local industry and faith communities were felt, the Tennessean reports. Carter’s influence also extended to Tennessee’s economy. In 1983, his support helped Gov. Lamar Alexander open the state’s first auto plant, Nissan Manufacturing in Smyrna. The auto industry now employs nearly 143,000 Tennesseans. In 2019, Carter participated in the Carter Work Project, an initiative he created, helping build homes in Nashville with a group of volunteers. Carter's state funeral will be Jan. 9, 2025, at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Funeral arrangements are now available for former Shelby County judge Donna Fields. Visitation will be held Jan. 2, 2025, from 4-6 p.m. CST at Canale Funeral Directors, 2700 Union Ave. Extended, Memphis 38112. A funeral mass will be held the next day at 1:30 p.m. CST at St. Anne's Catholic Church Highland, 706 S. Highland St., Memphis 38111 with burial to follow at Elmwood Cemetery. The family requests that memorial donations go to organizations that support and protect four-legged creatures, which Fields loved so much. Read more about her life.

Former judge and current Shelby County prosecutor Donna Fields died in a car accident on Dec. 16, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has announced. Fields joined the district attorney’s (DA) office after retiring as a judge, working part time with a focus on animal cruelty cases. "Donna Fields was a relentless advocate for justice, especially for those who had no voice," said DA Steve Mulroy. "She didn’t have to return to work, but she chose to because of her deep love for animals and her steadfast commitment to justice." Funeral arrangements are still being developed.

Eugene W. Ward, Nashville attorney and husband of Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely, died Dec. 13 at age 92. He received his undergraduate degree from Lincoln Memorial University in 1956 and his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1959. Ward practiced law in Morristown for two years before being appointed to assistant general counsel at the Tennessee Public Service Commission. He later served as general counsel, and then in 1986, moved to Nashville Electric Service (NES). He retired in 2011 as general counsel and vice president. Ward was a member of the Nashville and Tennessee Bar Associations, as well as the American and the Tennessee Valley Public Power Associations and the Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association. Services will take place at Spring Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5110 Gallatin Pk., Nashville 37216 on Dec. 19. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. CST with a celebration of life at 1 p.m. The family requests that memorial donations be made to Shriner's Hospital for Children or the Opry Trust Fund.

The state lost two civil rights leaders this week. Knoxville native Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni, a poet, civil rights legend and educator, died Monday at the age of 81 after her third cancer diagnosis. Giovanni attended Fisk University in Nashville and rose to prominence during the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. She later taught for 35 years in the English Department at Virginia Tech, according to the Tennessee Lookout. Just two days later, on Wednesday, Vencen Horsley, a Nashville civil rights leader and community advocate, died. Horsley was a prominent figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, peacefully demonstrating alongside the late Rep. John Lewis during Nashville’s sit-in movement. WKRN has more on his life.