James Allen Lipscomb

this life on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, in Indianapolis, IN. He was baptized in the creek behind

Shiloh Church off Thompson Hill in the hollows of Tennessee. James attended Clark High School

in Mount Pleasant, TN. until the age of sixteen when he dropped out to help support his family

following the passing of his mother. As an adult, he loved to tell his children the stories of his

childhood and what life was like in rural Tennessee growing up. One story he liked to tell was how

he saved the money to buy his first car at the age of eighteen and had a friend drive him two

hours away to get it. However, he couldn’t drive and had to teach himself how to drive it on the

way home. A country boy at heart, he passed on his love of the outdoors including camping and

fishing to his children and grandchildren.

James moved to Indianapolis, IN. one month short of his twenty-first birthday in 1957 where he

stayed with a cousin until he got on his feet. In that time, he worked several jobs to make ends

meet including one of his all-time favorite jobs at a bakery on the southside of town. On

September 18, 1967, he went to work for GM at Allison Transmission where he worked until his

retirement on June 1, 1992. While he moved from plant to plant throughout the years, he worked

the longest at plant #3. He was a proud union man and belonged to UAW Local 933. One of his

favorite moments while working at GM was helping to build the transmissions for the tanks that

served in Desert Storm.

James is preceded in death by his parents George and Jimmie Lipscomb; siblings George

Lipscomb, Jr., William Lipscomb, John Henry Lipscomb and Mary Scribner; daughter Debbie Jo

Kemp; grandchildren Sa’Quan Graham and Jaylee Vaught; and one great-grandchild Travis Gray Jr.

He leaves to cherish his memory his wife of 36 years, Ruth Lipscomb; children Keith Lipscomb,

Chauncey (Marsha) Lipscomb, Angelique (Ernie) Jones, Michael (Ivionna) Lipscomb, Demetria

(Shawn) Brown, Jennifer (Chris) Hogue, Jessica Vires (Eric Waddle), and Zachary Lipscomb (Payton

Saunders); siblings Robert Lewis (Linda) Lipscomb, Willie Cee (Cindy) Lipscomb, and Annie Ruth

Ellery; 30 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and

friends.

A memorial service for James will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023, from noon to 2 pm at

God’s Grace Community Church located at 9425 E. 30th St., Indianapolis, IN. 46229.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.familyfuneralcareindy.com for the Lipscomb family.