Elizabeth Ann Gibson Newsome, age 99, of Memphis, Tennessee passed away on Saturday, December 16, 2023. She was born on June 5, 1924 in Whiteville, Tennessee to Walter Frank Gibson and May Murphy Gibson. She moved to Memphis in 1942 and began working as a bookkeeper for Union Planters Bank. She reconnected with James Newsome, who she knew from Whiteville, who was training at Park Field, (now known at Naval Support Activity Millington). They began dating and were married on December 15, 1951 in Valdosta, Georgia. She was a stat-at-home mom until her children were in high school, when she went to work for the Internal Revenue Service, where she was a tax examiner for 15 years. She then retired an she and James traveled a great deal before he became ill and she became his caretaker until his death in 2001.
She and her family were very active member of Grimes Memorial Methodist Church for many years until health problems kept them from attending regularly. She loved the outdoors, was a avid tennis player and bowler, and she loved her Tennessee Volunteers, especially the Lady Vols basketball team.
She is survived by two daughters, Sandy Federico (Jim) of Memphis and Jo Ann Tichenor (Greg) of Millington; grandchildren, Michael Federico (Becky), Tony Federico (Megan), and Lee Booker (Lana); great-grandchildren, Olivia, Emma, Kiser, and Anthony.
A visitation for Elizabeth will be held Wednesday, December 20 from 1:00 PM until the funeral service at 2:00 PM, at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38119. A graveside service will follow at Memphis Memory Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be directed to the Neighborhood Christian Centers (www.ncclife.org).
