Knoxville lawyer Andrew Johnson Evans Jr. died March 14 at the age of 95. Following high school graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and fought overseas during World War II. He went on to earn his law degree at the University of Tennessee College of Law and launch a private practice. In 1968, he was elected to the Knox County General Sessions Court, where he served until 1989.

Stanley Daniel Kupiszewski Jr. of Tallahassee, Florida, died on Feb. 16. He was 89. Kupiszewski was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in combat during the Korean War before earning his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. During his career, Kupiszewski served as assistant attorney general for Florida and general counsel for the Florida Department of Education. He appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court, was an adjunct professor at Florida State University and past president of the National Advocate Society where he was presented as the 1997 Man of the Year. He also was a member of The Florida Bar and Tennessee Bar Association, where he was named a TBA Senior Counselor. Donations may be made in Kupiszewski’s name to the Kosciuszko Foundation, 15 East 65th St., New York, NY 10065; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 624 Miccosukee Rd., Tallahassee, FL.; or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Retired Columbia lawyer Thomas Edward Lawwell died Feb. 12 at the age of 87. Lawwell graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1961 and began a legal career in Columbia that spanned 50 years. He first worked at Shelton and Shelton, where he focused on real estate law and represented the phosphate industry. In the 1970s, he served as judge for the city of Columbia and attorney for the Columbia Power and Water System. In 1985, he established a partnership that eventually became Lawwell, Dale & Graham and established the Maury County Title Company with his law partners. During his later years, Lawwell represented the Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company. Lawwell was a past president of the Maury County Bar Association, chair of the Tennessee Bar Foundation and member of a number of TBA committees. He also was a TBA Senior Counselor.

Retired Judge Russell Lee Moore Jr. died on Jan. 28. He was 76. Moore served as a circuit court judge in the 29th Judicial District — which includes Dyer and Lake counties — from 1997 until retiring in December 2021. Moore was a graduate of the Mississippi School of Law and began practicing in 1971. He was a past president of the Dyer County Bar Association and a member of the TBA and Mississippi State Bar. A private family service was held, per Moore’s request. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Shriners Hospital for Children, 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or the New Life Union Mission, P.O. Box 179, 213 West Cedar St., Dyersburg, TN 38024.

Fayetteville lawyer Robert Whitney Stevens Jr. died Feb. 9 at the age of 74. A 1975 graduate of the Cumberland Law School, Stevens began his law practice in Fayetteville with his father. At the time of his death, he was affiliated with the law firm of Stevens, Bagley & Stevens. Stevens served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam conflict and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Fayetteville First United Methodist Church, 200 Elk Ave. N., Fayetteville, TN 37334; or a veteran’s organization of the donor’s choice.

Clarksville lawyer Pamela Gail Presson Vawter, formerly of Paris, Tennessee, died Feb. 10 at the age of 50. She graduated from the Nashville School of Law and worked primarily for the state of Tennessee. She also was a member of the TBA Leadership Law Class in 2013. A private family graveside service is being planned. Memorial donations may be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), P.O. Box 96929, Washington, D.C., 20090. |||