Major Joseph W. Lipscomb by MLDCommunications

Order of Services PRELUDE ....................................................................................................................................... Minister Karlos Nichols PROCESSIONAL & VIRTUAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS INVOCATION ..................................................................................................................... Rev. Timothy L. Adkins-Jones Senior Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church 275 West Market Street, Newark, NJ SCRIPTURE READING ........................................................................................... Reverend Timothy L. Adkins-Jones Old Testament Psalm 91:1-16 New Testament John 10:27-29 MUSICAL SELECTION ...............................................................................Minister of Worship & Arts Karlos Nichols “Uncloudy Day” by Josiah Alwood Mahalia remembers this as Joseph’s favorite song. REFLECTIONS ................................................................................................................................................Eldred C. Ellis 1956 Germany - Basic Training Comrade OBITUARY READING................................................................................................................................. Kheri Freeman MUSICAL SELECTION ............................................................................................................................ Kimani Freeman “The Best in Me” by Marvin Sapp EULOGY ...................................................................................................................... Reverend Timothy L. Adkins-Jones CLOSING PRAYER .................................................................................................... Reverend Timothy L. Adkins-Jones MILITARY FUNERAL HONORS Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virgina Wednesday, July 29, 2020 This honor entails: •

A casket team (body bearers/pallbearers).

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Body will be moved by the Honor Guard from the car to the caisson/horse and carriage for the procession.

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Marching element and military band.

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21-gun salute/firing party, bugler playing TAPS.

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Folding & presentation of the United States flag.

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Prayer, Benediction, Committal by Chaplin Phipps.

In Loving Memory of

Major Joseph W. Lipscomb OBITUARY Major Joseph William Lipscomb transitioned into eternal rest on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, from his home in Newark, New Jersey. Joseph was born on Saturday, March 7, 1936, in Union, South Carolina. He was the eldest son of Lillie Pearl Lipscomb (October 15, 1913-October 3, 1995) and Lewis “Red” Lipscomb (September 29, 1912-April 23, 1977). His maternal grandmother was Lydia Hughes, and his paternal grandfather was Rufus Lipscomb. Joseph attended Union County Public Schools in Union,South Carolina, and graduated high school in 1956 where he excelled academically and athletically as a popular member of the English Team and the Sims High School Tigers historically recognized football team. He and his family worshipped at Clinton Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church where his mother was the organist. Joseph enjoyed attending services and singing gospel hymns throughout his life. On July 7, 1956, Joseph married Mahalia J. Carter of Union, South Carolina. Joseph then went on to enter the United States Air Force on July 17, 1956. He leaves to cherish his endearing memory Mahalia Lipscomb; his children Elizabeth Jean Sanders (Danny) of South Carolina, Deborah Kay Lipscomb of New Jersey, and Joseph Monty Lipscomb (Sherry) of Pennsylvania; his grandchildren Catina Garner (Loris), Carthy Stevens, Kheri Freeman, Kimani Freeman, and Daeja Cromartie; great-grandchildren Lauren and Logan Garner, Carthy, Jr. and Christian Stevens; siblings, Retired US Marine Corps Master Sergeant James A. Lipscomb (Shirley) of California and Ms. Tommie Lipscomb-Johnson of New York; Uncle Clarence Lipscomb (Juanita) of North Carolina; sister-in-law Ms. JoAnn Carter of South Carolina; brother-in-law Earl Dawkins of New Jersey; and son-in-law Keith Freeman of New Jersey, in addition to a host of nieces and nephews on both (Joseph and Mahalia) marital sides of the family. Joseph was predeceased by his parents, and sister, Ms. Lewis Charles Milliner. Military Career Major Promotable Joseph William Lipscomb served in the United States Military in a highly distinguished career for 39 years in both the Air Force (22 years), and the Army (17 years). Major Lipscomb’s duty stations included: Lackland Air Force Base- Texas; Kedena Air Force Base-Okinawa, Japan; U.S. Army Base Garrison-Wiesbaden, Germany; Andersen Air Force Base-Guam; U.S. Army Base Garrison -Yongsan, South Korea; S.H.A.P.E. Military Base-Brussels, Belgium; and Joint Base McGuire Fort Dix, New Jersey. Major Joseph Lipscomb was recognized as a serviceman who maintained an admirable and distinguished military career. His officer ratings are a stellar representation of his bravery, dedication, and service to his country. Major Lipscomb acquired numerous Army Service Medals, Army Commendation Medals, Air Force and Army Achievement Medals, Meritorious Awards and Awards for his service and dedication to The Army Reserves. Notably, Major Lipscomb was commissioned by the United States Army to serve as a Registered Nurse with the elite US Army Medical Command Unit (MEDCOM), a direct reporting unit of the Army that provided command and control of the Army’s fixed-facility medical, dental, and veterinary treatment facilities. Through this commission, Major Lipscomb was certified to train nurses in preparation for wartime.

Major Lipscomb was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his service at the S.H.A.P.E. Military Base in Belgium serving as a Clinical Head Nurse “demonstrating exemplary performance and dedication reflecting great credit to himself, the 196th Station Hospital in Belgium, and The United States.” Major Lipscomb was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his exceptional and meritorious service as Chief Operating Room Nurse/Central Material Supply in Seoul, South Korea. “His achievements reflected greatly upon himself, the 18th Medical Command, and The United States Army.” Major Lipscomb was a distinguished member of the United States Army Nurse Corps, the 38th Parallel Nurses’ Society in Seoul, South Korea, and he also served as Head Nurse in an operating room at East Orange, NJ, Brooklyn, NY, and Philadelphia Veteran’s Hospitals. Major Lipscomb was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for exhibiting great responsibility and exemplary performance as Chief Nurse in maintaining outstanding operating room services and infection control. “His performance in keeping with the highest traditions of military service reflected great credit upon himself, and The United States Army.” At the time of his retirement from his prestigious military career, Major Lipscomb was promoted to Deputy Chief Nurse in a MEDCEN Facility. As a civilian, Joseph joined Newark Beth Israel Medical Center’s operating room team where he worked for over ten years as a Registered Nurse and soon became Chief Operating Room Nurse. Education Joseph earned his Associates Degree from Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey while working full-time and was the first African American male nurse to graduate from the college’s nursing program. He earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in nursing from the former Jersey City State University. Notable Facts During Joseph’s outstanding high school football career, he played for the Sims High School Tigers of Union, South Carolina. He played the position of guard, and his jersey number was 37. During his time on the team, he played alongside Willie Jefferies who went on to become the first African American Division-I football coach. The Sims High School Tigers were undefeated for six seasons and had a remarkable record of ninety-two wins and zero losses. Due to the climate of segregation in the South, the Sims High School Tigers were never recognized for their exceptional talent and accomplishments. More information regarding the Sims High School Tigers’ record and accomplishments can be found at bit.ly/SimsHighTigers. Joseph was a very courageous man. During the social uprising in Newark in July of 1967, he drove taxis part-time for the city. He was robbed at gunpoint, however, he persevered with great determination. Joseph also attended the March on Washington in 1963 and proudly shared his experiences from the march with his daughter, Deborah later in her life. Joseph also enjoyed playing and coaching baseball. While serving in the U.S. Air Force in Wiesbaden, Germany, Joseph played on a military baseball team that was scheduled to play in a tournament in Europe. Joseph’s commander informed him that he could not attend the trip because he did not have a US passport. At the time, Joseph was unable to obtain a passport because many African American people in the segregated South did not have birth certificates. Outraged his commander immediately reached out to the Pentagon to express his discontent. Within three days, an official from the Pentagon went to his parent’s house in South Carolina to retrieve his birth date from the family bible. The official subsequently filed this information at the state capital in Columbia, South Carolina, and within one week, Joseph received his first passport and he traveled with his team to play baseball in Europe. A few years later, Joseph had a professional baseball tryout with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles..

Joseph traveled extensively by air, ship, car, and even by hovercraft-Europe while in the military and throughout his civilian life. He always encouraged his family to join him in his travels and to embrace the lessons that adventure inspires. He instilled a spirit of traveling in his daughter, Deborah Kay, as she traveled to join him at the SHAPE Military Base in Brussels, Belgium. Joseph and Deborah also traveled together to London, France, and the Netherlands. He organized trips to Canada with his military buddies and with his son, Joseph Monty as well as his nephews and one of his nieces. In the summer of 2016, Joseph visited South Carolina and shared special memories with his daughter Elizabeth, her husband, and her family. Joseph also encouraged, with tremendous passion, his granddaughters domestic and international travel experiences. Joseph enjoyed playing cards with friends and family. He was a champion card player in the classic game of Bid Whist, a game popular in both military and African American culture. Joseph also enjoyed watching sports and developing sports team brackets. His favorite teams were the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Browns. His favorite athletes were Jim Brown, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, and his younger brother, James Lipscomb. Joseph was a collector of cameras, fine music, and eagle statues. He will be fondly remembered for his engaging laughter, fearless courage, unmatched ambition, and his respected leadership. Joseph’s nephew, Daryl Carter, of New Jersey, provided an amazing account of much of Joseph’s historical high school sports career and military accomplishments by listening to his accounts and playing baseball with him when he was a child. Ernest Talley (high school football team) of Union, South Carolina, provided photos and information about Joseph’s school and athletic career. His nephew, Scott Carter, of North Carolina escorted Joseph to his last New York Yankees game, and his nephew James Lipscomb of New York remembers him as, “A great uncle and man who was loved by many.” Joseph’s legacy includes a life of giving it your best through commitment and dedication to oneself by way of physical fitness, education, traveling, and the demonstration of outstanding work and leadership ethics. He classically smoked a toothpick as his cigarette and drank nothing stronger than a Pepsi. Dad, we thank you for your love, and we are proud of you for all of your notable achievements and numerous unsung accomplishments. We thank you for what you have shared with and taught us. We honor and salute you today and always, and we will forever miss you being by our side. Soar on, Dad. Soar like an eagle. Love always, Jean, Deborah & Joseph Monty