On September 6, 2018, Mary Johnson Lipsey Champion entered Heaven. She was met by her Lord, her husband Sid S. Champion Jr., her daughter-in-law Janet Gunn Champion and grandson Sid Wesley Champion. Mary's parents, Dr. James H. and Marjorie Lipsey, sister and brother-in-law Adele Lipsey and Rodney McDaniel, nephew George McDaniel, brother Dr. James H. Lipsey, sister Grace "Susie" Lipsey Clayton, and brother-in-law William M. Champion joined the welcome gathering.
Mary was born in Memphis on September 30, 1929 and moved to Brookhaven, MS at age seven. On December 7, 1941, she and her sister Adele stopped a troop transport bound for Camp Shelby that passed in front of their home to tell them of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Upon graduating from Brookhaven High School, where she enjoyed driving her father's turquoise Roadmaster convertible filled with girls and once wickedly taking gasoline from pumps after dark. She attended Millsaps College graduating Magna Cum Laude in Economics and receiving the Wall Street Journal Award for Academic Achievement. Encountering difficulty as a woman finding employment in her field she moved to Atlanta and joined Delta Airlines. There she met her future husband who was attending Georgia Institute of Technology. Upon his graduation they married in 1953 and moved to New Orleans and lived in Audubon Park. They were frequently awakened at night by the roars of the big cats. A move to Vicksburg brought two children, home lifelong friends and adventure.
A new position called the family to Gulfport in 1966 where Mary took up student teaching. In 1969, the family moved to Jackson and remained in the area. Mary completed her master's studies at Mississippi College and began her long teaching career with the Jackson Public Schools. Retiring from Chastain Middle School in 1993 she continued her love of teaching with tutoring in local schools and as a longtime Colonial Heights Baptist Church adult Sunday School teacher and choir member. Upon her husband's retirement they took their love of travel and flight around the world. His death in 2002 did not stop her. Unfortunately, the 2008 Jackson tornado destroyed her home and she chose to move into a Ridgeland retirement community where she was active until her car keys were taken in defense of the community by her children. She then moved to Clinton to be closer to her son and his family. After a fall and illness she was called to Heaven.
Mary is survived by her son Sid J. Champion and granddaughter Lauren Champion of Clinton, daughter and son-in-law Sarah and Michael Puckett of Los Gatos, California, granddaughter Elizabeth Puckett of Henderson, Nevada, granddaughter and husband Rachel and Matthew Geisick of San Jose, California, and grandson Andrew Puckett of Concord, California. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law Annette Champion of Oxford and Patricia Lipsey of Asheville, North Carolina. Surviving nieces are Mary McDaniel Rogers of Midland, Texas, Laura Champion Hall of Atlanta, Elizabeth Thomas of Overland Park, Kansas, Katherine Lipsey of Raleigh, North Carolina, Marjorie Lipsey Benzkofer of Oak Park, Illinois and nephews John Champion of Senatobia, James Lipsey of Oak Park Illinois, and Timothy Phares of Wichita, Kansas. She is also survived by many grand nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Visitation will be held at Pocahontas Baptist Church, 4200 Kickapoo Rd., Jackson, on Sunday, September 9th from 5pm to 7pm. The Funeral will also be held there on Monday, September 10th at 1:30pm with visitation one hour prior, followed by burial at the Edwards Cemetery.
In Lieu of flowers charitable offerings can be made to the Mississippi Baptist Children's Village or Doctors Without Borders.