Kingsport trial lawyer Jack Muller Vaughn died Friday at age 80. Vaughn, a Kingsport native, served in the Army from 1965 to 1971, earning two Purple Hearts. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law and practiced law in Kingsport from 1976 until his retirement earlier this year. He was a partner at the firm of Fuller & Vaughn for the majority of his career. He also served as president of Kingsport Bar Association and was appointed by the state Supreme Court to the Lawyers Fund for Client Protection, where he served as chair for four years. Vaughn later moved to Waynesboro, Virginia. Visitation will be Nov. 7 at the Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes in Kingsport from 5-7 p.m. EST. A funeral will follow Nov. 8 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Kingsport from 1-2:15 p.m. EST. Memorial donations may be sent to Trinity Episcopal Church, 1118 Preston Ave., Charlottesville, VA 22903.

Dennis Bruce Francis, a Knoxville attorney and advocate for voting rights, died Tuesday at age 78. Francis received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1974 and went to work as general counsel at Eastern State Psychiatric Hospital (later Lakeshore Mental Health Institute). He was a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, served as chair of the Knox County Election Commission and was a member of the state Democratic Executive Committee. The family will receive friends on Nov. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m. EDT with a Rosary at 6:30 at Rose Funeral & Cremation, 6200 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37919. A funeral mass will be held at noon EST on Nov. 5 at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 645 St. John Court, Farragut 37934.

Sharon J. Bell, retired Knox County chancellor, died Oct. 27 at the age of 80. Bell earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1978 to 1982 before becoming a judge on the Knox County General Sessions Court, where she served for four years. In 1986, she was elected as the first woman chancellor in the state of Tennessee. She retired from the bench in 2006. Throughout her career, Bell handled a range of cases, including adoptions and family law. She also dealt with high-profile issues, such as a dispute over public records held by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the role of the county law director in relation to the school board. Read more about Bell’s life in an article from News 10. Memorial services will be held at Rose Funeral & Cremation – Mann, 6200 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37919 on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. EDT with visitation from 1 to 2 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Humane Society of Tennessee Valley, P.O. Box 51723 Knoxville, TN 37950.

James Thomas “Tommy” Head, age 79 of Henrietta, died Oct. 19. Head was elected to represent District 68 in the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1986 and served for nine terms. Current House Minority Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, said, "During his 18 years of service in the Tennessee House of Representatives, Rep. Head was a solid steward of our state tax dollars through his service as vice chair of the Joint Fiscal Review Committee, chair of the House Budget Subcommittee and chair of the House Finance Ways and Means Committee. His exemplary service and dedication helped lay the foundation for Tennessee to be fiscally strong." Services were held Oct. 24. Memorial donations may be made to the Mt. Carmel Cemetery Fund, 425 Mt. Carmel Rd, Clarksville, TN 37043 or the Pat Summitt Foundation, 520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Ste. 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902.

Donald J. Polden, former University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law dean died Oct. 15 at the age of 76. Polden served as dean of the law school from 1993 to 2003. According to the school, he increased the diversity of the student body, raised the national profile of the faculty, and secured significant private support for the law school during his tenure. He also oversaw the law school's move to its downtown Memphis building and its admission to the Association of American Law Schools. Polden received his law degree from the University of Indiana. In a press release, the school says he was known for his commitment to diversity and access to legal education. Polden also served on numerous state and national commissions and committees, including those dedicated to improving racial and ethnic diversity in state courts, strengthening clinical legal education and improving the health of law students.

Nashville native and lawyer Ben Hardin Rowan II died Oct. 19 at the age of 86. Rowan attended Vanderbilt University on a basketball scholarship and graduated with a philosophy degree. He joined the U.S. Army and served as a lieutenant before returning to Vanderbilt for law school. He graduated in 1964 and joined the law firm Watkins, McGugin, McNeilly and Rowan, where he was a partner for 25 years until he retired. Rowan served as a member of the Nashville Bar Association Board of Directors, chair of the Nashville Bar Admission to Practice Law Committee and vice president of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers. Visitation will take place at Immanuel Baptist Church, 222 Belle Meade Blvd., Nashville 37205 on Nov. 3 from 1-2 p.m. CDT. A funeral will follow at 2 p.m. Memorial donations may be given to Immanuel Baptist Church, Brentwood Academy or Vanderbilt University.

Memphis lawyer John Dennis Horne died Oct. 18 at the age of 77. After growing up in Signal Mountain, Horne attended the University of Tennessee and its College of Law. He later received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis. After three years of service in the U.S. Army Jag Corps, Horne moved back to Memphis and joined the Winchester Law Firm. He was an active member of the community and a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. Visitation will be held Friday at 10:30 a.m. CDT in the Cheney Parish Hall at the Church of the Holy Communion. A memorial service will follow at noon. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Church of Holy Communion, 4645 Walnut Grove Rd., Memphis, TN 38117.

Judge Barry Brown, who served as Sumner County’s juvenile judge for 32 years, died Oct. 10. During his time with the court, Brown established a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program in the county, a Sumner County Teen Court, a Victim/Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) and a program to educate first-time offenders about the dangers of drug abuse. The Nashville School of Law graduate retired from the bench in 2017. Services were held today. Memorial donations may be made to Sumner County CASA, 182 West Franklin St., Gallatin, TN 37066. Main Street Media has more on his career and reflections from colleagues.

Winfield Dunn, Tennessee's 43rd governor, died Saturday at age 97. Funeral services are pending. Dunn graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in Memphis and practiced dentistry in Shelby County. He entered politics as chair of the Shelby County Republican Party, and in 1970, was elected as the first Republican governor in the state in 50 years. During his one term in office, he established a statewide kindergarten program, created public parks, prioritized highway construction and formed the Department of Economic and Community Development and the General Services and Banking departments. According to the Tennessean, Dunn championed bipartisanship, crafting an administration that included members of both political parties. After leaving office, Dunn served as vice president of Hospital Corporation of America. In 1986, he attempted to run for a second term as governor but lost in a close race to Democrat Ned McWherter. Of particular interest to lawyers, Dunn said in his later years that he regretted not vetoing the "Tennessee Plan," which allows the governor to appoint appellate court judges, when it came before him. He argued it was unconstitutional and that citizens should be allowed to choose judges by popular vote.

Monroe Waldemar Gibbs Sr. died Sept. 17 at age 87. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran and a 1971 graduate of Howard University Law School. A Tennessee Bar Association member and senior counselor, Gibbs served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at the Temple of Deliverance. A memorial service will be held Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. CDT at Temple of Deliverance, Church of God in Christ, 547 Mississippi Blvd., Memphis 38126.