Nashville lawyer and former TBA President Harris Abram Gilbert died Wednesday at the age of 91. Born and raised in Nashville, Gilbert headed north to Yale University for undergraduate work and then on to the University of Chicago Law School. Following graduation, he returned to Nashville and served as an assistant district attorney. He then entered private practice focusing on probate and estate planning, business and real estate law. As managing partner of Gilbert and Milom he co-led the firm’s transition to Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs. Gilbert was a board member of the Nashville Bar Association and served as TBA president from 1994-1995. He was a founder of the Legal Aid Society and in 1996, the TBA created an award in his name to recognize those committed to pro bono work. Funeral services will be held at The Temple Ohabai Sholom, 5015 Harding Pike, Nashville 37205, on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CST. A Zoom link will be available. Visitation and a reception will follow the service. Burial will be private.

Nashville lawyer Donald Walter Fisher died Jan. 31 at the age of 65. A graduate of Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Fisher moved to Nashville and founded the Fisher Law Group. He primarily practiced in the field of personal injury defense. Visitation will take place on Thursday from 6-8 p.m. and Friday from 8:30-9 a.m. at Woodbine Funeral Home Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Rd., Nashville 37211. A funeral service will take place Friday at 9 a.m. at the funeral home. A graveside service will follow at 11 a.m. at Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, 7931 McCrory Ln., Nashville 37221. All times central.

Nashville lawyer Maclin P. “Mac” Davis Jr. died Jan. 11 at the age of 96. A 1950 graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, his first legal job was with the law firm of Armistead, Waller, Davis & Lansden. He was made partner in 1955. In 1967, the name of the firm was changed to Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. Except for a nine-year interlude as a partner in the Nashville office of Heiskell, Donelson, Bearman, Adams, Williams & Caldwell, Davis worked at Waller for his entire career. Davis also served as a member of the state House of Representatives from 1954-1956. His most significant case was his own challenge to force the legislature to reapportion itself every 10 years. The case led to the “one man, one vote” decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. Funeral services will be held Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. CST at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 4715 Harding Rd., Nashville. A reception will follow. Interment of ashes will be at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery on Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. Memorial donations may be given to Grace Episcopal Church, 5291 Main St., Spring Hill 37174; St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, 4513 Park Ave., Nashville 37209; the W.O. Smith Nashville Community School of Music, 1125 8th Ave. S., Nashville 37023; or the animal rescue organization of the donor’s choice.

Memphis lawyer William David "Bill" Levy died Jan. 29 at the age of 88. He earned a degree in journalism from the University of Alabama and spent 10 years serving in the U.S. Army and as state editor of the Columbus Enquirer in Georgia. He resumed his education at that point, earning a law degree from the University of Memphis. He stayed in Memphis and worked as a trial specialist for the National Labor Relations Board. He later went into private practice with the firms of Young & Perl and Baker Donelson. A private burial will take place tomorrow followed by a memorial service at 1 p.m. CST in the chapel at Temple Israel, 1376 E. Massey Rd., Memphis 38120.

Memphis lawyer Thomas Francis "Frank” Jackson III died Dec. 18 of natural causes. He was 82 years old. Known to his friends as “Bobo,” Jackson earned his law degree from the George Washington University School of Law and practiced law in Memphis for nearly 50 years. Memorial services will be held this Friday at 11 a.m. CST at St. John's Episcopal Church, 3245 Central Ave., Memphis 38111. Burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery, 824 S. Dudley St., Memphis 38104. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to his alma mater Rhodes College for the Sarah Elizabeth Farris and Thomas F. Jackson Scholarship at Rhodes College, Development Office, 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112.

Bristol lawyer Frank Winston died Jan. 25. He was 95 years old. Following service in the U.S. Air Force, Winston attended the University of Tennessee College of Law and graduated in 1952. He then returned to Bristol and practiced law there for 40 years. Winston was president of the Bristol Virginia-Tennessee Bar Association and chair of the legal sections of the Tennessee Public Power Association and American Public Power Association. He was named a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1986. Winston left the practice of law in 1994 to serve as counsel to Bill Gatton and his various enterprises and as a trustee of the Bill Gatton Foundation. Winston was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1955 and was appointed by three governors to serve on the Tennessee Historical Commission. The family will hold a private graveside service.

Thomas Swain Kale, 83, of Chattanooga died last Tuesday after a battle with cancer. Kale earned his law degree from Duke University in 1964 and moved to Chattanooga where he joined the firm of Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams. He spent his entire career at the firm and though he officially retired, he maintained an office there until his death. Kale focused his practice on mergers and acquisitions, transactional matters, real estate, bankruptcy and business litigation, and corporate law. Visitation will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. EST in the Key-Andrews Hall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 West 7th St., Chattanooga 37402. A memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. EST. A reception will follow the service. Memorial donations may be made to the church, Metropolitan Ministries or to a charity of the donor's choosing. 

Nashville attorney Roger Arling Milam died Jan. 17 at the age of 78. A graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, Milam handled fidelity and surety law matters and served as U.S. District Court clerk for the Middle District of Tennessee. He served three years in the Navy including a tour of duty in Vietnam onboard the USS DeHaven as communications officer. Upon honorary discharge, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and retired as captain in 1995. Visitation will be held Feb. 3 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. CST at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 9090 Highway 100, Nashville, TN 37221. A celebration of life will follow at 1:30 p.m. A reception will cap off the day. Memorial donations may be made to The Alzheimer's Association, 1801 West End Ave. Ste. 200, Nashville, TN, 37203. Please put “TN Chapter #208” in the memo line of checks.

Former Vanderbilt University School of Law Dean Charles Dent Bostick died Jan. 12 at the age of 91. Bostick was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy before earning his law degree from Mercer University. After two years with the University of Florida faculty, Bostick joined the Vanderbilt Law faculty where he served from 1968 to 1992. He served as dean from 1980 to 1985, where he spearheaded an expansion of the original law school building and hosted U.S. Supreme Court justices Sandra Day O’Connor and William Rehnquist. Bostick was faculty adviser to the moot court team at Vanderbilt and taught about property law and future interests. A private family memorial is scheduled at St. George’s Episcopal Church. The Nashville Post has more.

Retired state Rep. Bobby Wood died this morning after an extended illness. He was 87. Wood represented District 26 in the state House for 28 years before retiring in 2004. He was honored with the Republican party’s “Tennessee Statesman of the Year Award” in 2004. During his time as a lawmaker, Wood sponsored legislation formulating home school policy in Tennessee that was used as a model in other states. He sponsored legislation to bring Tenncare benefits in line with the state healthcare plan in 2000. Funeral services will take place on Tuesday at noon EST at Redemption Point Church, 3831 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road. The Chattanoogan has more on the story.