Portland lawyer David Milton Amonette died June 12. He was 80 years old. Amonette was born in Nashville and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1964. After serving in the Air Force National Guard during the Vietnam War, he earned his law degree from the YMCA Law School (now Nashville School of Law) in 1973. Amonette began his 50-year law career in the Third National Bank legal department before joining the Nashville law firm of Bone & Woods. Memorial donations may be made to McKendree Memorial United Methodist Church, 208 Wheeler St., Portland, TN 37148, or the Pat Summitt Foundation, 520 W. Summit Hill Dr., Ste. 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902.

Carson William “Bill” Beck, a Nashville lawyer and Democratic state representative died June 4 at the age of 61. Beck was first elected in 2014 to represent Nashville’s House District 51. During his time in office, Beck championed public education, health care, transportation and a higher minimum wage. Prior to his election, Beck practiced law at Beck & Beck alongside his mother, Martha Lu Cone Beck. He earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law after serving in the Tennessee Air National Guard. His body laid in state in the Tennessee state Capitol on June 8.

Charles Phillip “Phil” Bivens, of Dyersburg and Murfreesboro, died July 20 at age 71. Bivens worked as an attorney in private practice before being elected district attorney general for Dyer and Lake counties. He retired in 2018. A memorial service was held on Aug. 3 at the First Baptist Church in Dyersburg, where Bivens held numerous leadership positions. The family requests that memorial donations be directed to crisis pregnancy centers that support and facilitate adoption.

Edgar “Buddy” R. Bowers of Harriman died March 17 at the age of 85. Bowers graduated from Emory University School of Law in 1966. After several years of private practice in Roane County, he joined Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation as vice president and general counsel. He served in that role until he retired in 1999. Bowers was active in his community, serving on the Tennessee Historical Commission, Harriman Board of Education and Tennessee Board of Regents. Memorial gifts may be made to West Hills Presbyterian Church, 506 West Hills Dr., Harriman, TN 37748; South Harriman Alumni & Friends, 111 Pine Ridge Rd., Harriman, TN 37748; Trenton Street Baptist Church, 519 Trenton St., Harriman, TN 37748; or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Cheryl Rumage Estes, a shareholder in the Memphis office of Lewis Thomason, died July 15 after a brief illness. She was 65. A 1982 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Law, Estes began her legal career with the firm as a runner and went on to become one of its first female shareholders. For a decade, she led the firm’s Labor and Employment Group. Estes also was a member of the Shelby County Bar Association and a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. Memorial donations may be made to the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Checks should be made payable to the University of Memphis Foundation and note that the gift is being given in honor of law school alumna Cheryl Rumage Estes. Checks should be mailed to Department 238, University of Memphis Foundation, P.O. Box 1000, Memphis, TN 38148.

Retired Nashville lawyer Sylvan “Ralph” Gordon died June 30 at the age of 84. Gordon graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1960 and Vanderbilt University Law School in 1963. He practiced law from 1963 to 2023, becoming a pioneer in entertainment law. Some of his clients included George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, Johnny Paycheck, Lee Greenwood, Tim McGraw, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mel Tillis and Mickey Gilley. After his retirement, Gordon continued to represent pro bono clients. Memorial contributions may be made to Alive Hospice, 718 Patterson St., Nashville, TN 37203; Congregation Micah, 2001 Old Hickory Blvd., Brentwood, TN 37027; or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Dresden attorney and former Democratic state legislator Roy Herron died July 9 due to injuries sustained in a jet ski accident on July 1. He was 69. The former chair of the Tennessee Democratic party, Herron served a combined 26 years in the state’s House and Senate, where he became floor leader and caucus chair for the Democrats. A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, Herron was also one of the first students to earn joint degrees in divinity and law from Vanderbilt University. Herron is the author of three books and had recently attended the TBA’s 2023 convention in Knoxville to participate in a book signing. Funeral services were held in Martin and Dresden in July. A celebration in Nashville is being planned for Sept. 30. Memorial donations may be made to The Volunteer Center, c/o Mark Maddox, P.O. Box 5, Dresden, TN  38225; Vanderbilt University Cancer Center, c/o Nancy Miller-Herron, P.O. Box 5, Dresden, TN  38225; or Dresden First United Methodist Church Building Fund, 105 S. Church St., Dresden, TN  38225.

Chattanooga lawyer Mark Johnson Mayfield died April 5 at the age of 91. A resident of Chattanooga since 1958, Mayfield received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he graduated first in his class and was a recipient of the Order of the Coif. He practiced law in Chattanooga for more than 40 years and was a member of the Chattanooga Bar Association. Memorial contributions may be made to Hearth Hospice, 513 Georgia Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403.

Former Nashville lawyer Mason Kirkpatrick “Kirk” Scobey Jr. died July 21 at 81. Scobey graduated from George Peabody College in 1964 and the Nashville School of Law in 1974. After 27 years with Commerce Union Bank and its successors as senior vice president and manager of the Personal Trust Department, Scobey joined Equitable Securities Corporation to manage its new subsidiary, Equitable Trust Company. Scobey and two partners acquired Equitable Trust and took it private in 2001. Scobey retired in 2012 and relocated to Destin, Florida, but continued to serve on the board as vice chair through the end of 2022.

Memphis lawyer Donna Elizabeth Dyer Smith died July 5 at the age of 76. Originally from Virginia, Smith settled in Memphis and began working at Southwestern University (now Rhodes College) and pharmaceutical company Schering Plough. Smith worked as a paralegal there while pursuing a law degree at the University of Memphis. She later joined Arcadian as corporate counsel, Guardsmark as vice president, and finally, the Memphis office of the Internal Revenue Service. Memorial donations may be made to the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, 1 N Front St., Memphis, TN 38103. |||