Gladys Sapp Lipscomb

The Celebration of Life Service for Mrs. Lipscomb will be live streamed on the Facebook Page of Fisher Memorial Funeral Parlor.

FACE MASKS ARE REQUIRED!!!

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Gladys Virginia Sapp Lipscomb was born on May 7, 1933, in Laurens County, South Carolina. Daughter of the late John Ella Leake Thomas and stepdaughter to Lemon Sapp, she later resided in Raleigh, NC, until the family settled in the Historic Walltown Community in Durham, North Carolina during her youth.

She attended Hillside High School in Durham which helped instill her level of excellence for her life. While there, she participated in extracurricular activities such as the safety patrol and chorus.

She was a dedicated member of St John’s Missionary Baptist Church, serving on the usher board and the church choir. With the guidance of her family and church participation, she established an unwavering faith in the Lord.

She married her high school sweetheart and fellow Walltown native, Nathaniel Hilton Lipscomb, Sr. in April 1951. The couple then established roots in Durham. From this union came four children—Linda, Sharon, Nathaniel Jr., and Eleanette. While raising her children during the days of racial segregation, for a short time she was a housekeeper for families and at Duke Hospital in Durham. Many times, she saved her bus fare and chose to walk to and from work to save money for the family. Her sacrifices enabled the couple to purchase their first house at an early age on Sedgefield Street in Walltown. In charting the success of their family, she and her husband relocated to cities such as Charlotte, NC, Talladega, AL, Lawrenceville, VA, and ultimately Richmond, VA, for opportunities and advancements at HBCUs. While in Charlotte, she worked as an early childhood instructor for Lincoln Heights Nursery School, which her two younger children attended. Accompanying her husband, Gladys later advanced to work in higher education for close to 20 years, managing auxiliary departments such as the student union and university bookstore at Saint Paul’s College, Talladega College and Virginia Union University until retiring to assist with raising her grandchildren full-time. She was a faithful and dedicated member of Trinity Baptist Church in Richmond, VA. Gladys was a second mother to dozens of students at these HBCUs—listening, providing guidance, sometimes money, and mostly her time and love to many students away from home for the first time. Affectionately known as “Ma Lip,” she provided many students shelter in the storm as they transitioned to adulthood. Gladys was one in a million; a true matriarch, her indomitable spirit and authentic personality were always on display. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were the greatest sources of joy in her life. She will forever be remembered for her abundant sense of humor, unmatched generosity, and the endless love she gave to those close to her heart. She instilled in her children and grandchildren strong Christian values. She counseled her children/grandchildren to recite the 23rd Psalm, one of her favorite scriptures, during challenging times in their lives. She was an extraordinarily strong women influenced by the strong women in life—her mother, grandmother, and beloved aunts. She stressed a requirement for higher education and encouraged her family to be financially independent and successful – reiterating often that she raised us to be… “the head, not the tail” [Deut. 28:13]. Gladys was drawn to music, frequently singing, dancing, and playing the piano. Coined as an avid “alto,” every moment throughout her life was spirited with singing three-part-harmony of her most cherished hymnals and hit records with her husband and family. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Nathaniel Sr., in 2022, whom she shared 71 years of marriage.

She is survived by their four children: Linda D. Lipscomb (Howard O. Smith) of Las Vegas, Nevada, Sharon D. Lipscomb (Michael Sullivan, fiancé) of Las Vegas, Nevada, Nathaniel H. Lipscomb, Jr. of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Eleanette M. Lipscomb of Richmond, Virginia; eight grandchildren: Nathaniel H. Lipscomb III, Nicole Lipscomb-King (Melvin King II), John Lipscomb, Constance Chavis, Steven Lipscomb, Christopher Smith (Bianca Papp), Brandon Lipscomb, and Brooks Smith; one brother, Robert L. Thomas of Durham, North Carolina; five great-grandchildren: Nia, Christopher, Makenna, Nathaniel IV, and Darian (and a 6th due in May 2025), three nieces: Kia Lipscomb McCauley, Carla Ruth Lipscomb, and Michelle Murphy Chisholm; three nephews, Reginald Lipscomb, Robert Thomas, Jr and Gary

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