Obituary of Dorothy Ann Gipson

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Dorothy Ann Daniels Gipson, a retired educator and community servant, passed away at home surrounded by her loving family after a courageous battle with Cancer on Saturday, July 22, 2023. She was 74 years old.

Dorothy was born on August 24, 1948, in Jackson, Mississippi to Mrs. Willie Roberta Thompson.  She was the second child of seven, which consists of three brothers and three sisters: Bessie D. Williams (Clinton, MS), Johnnie Faye Johnson (Memphis, TN), Eva Lawanda Thompson, Harvey Thompson, Robert Thompson (All of Jackson, MS) and Harry Thompson (Gulfport, MS).

Dorothy and her eldest sister Bessie were reared by their aunt and uncle, Al Rowe Daniels, and Mrs. Bessie H. Daniels. She grew up in West Jackson, MS better known as Washington Addition.

Dorothy attended the following schools in Mississippi: Isabel Elementary School, Jim Hill Junior-Senior High School (’66) and “Thee I Love” Jackson State University (’70), where she received her B.S. Degree and a Master’s Degree from the University of Florida (‘75). After receiving her B.S. degree in Physical Education, she accepted a teaching position in Brooksville, Florida where she met and married the love of her life, Chester A. Gipson. They were blessed with three children through this union: Chester A. Gipson II, Monica N. Gipson, and Maurice A. Gipson.  After residing in Gainesville, FL and Tuskegee, AL they moved to Reston, VA. Their search for a Church home led them to Martin Luther King, Jr Christian Church.  Dorothy was a faithful worker in the church and became an usher. She was a compassionate person and very passionate about helping people in need especially the youth. Her lifelong advocation was working with disadvantaged people and she made a career of working with autistic children. She was patient and caring. Dorothy was a special education teacher with the Fairfax County Public Schools for 20 years before she retired.

At her core, Dorothy had an unbreakable love for her family, friends and community. She has always been involved in community activities often behind the scenes, including dropping off and picking up kids for games that resided in subsidized housing when her children played youth sports. She was a great mentor and gave herself unselfishly.

Dorothy was an avid sports fan and could have been a sports statistician as she loved to keep statistics of teams and her favorite players.  She enjoyed basketball and was a LA Lakers fan during the Kobe Bryant era. She had since become a Golden State Warriors fan.  She was a devoted wife, mother and grandparent. She was the glue that held the family together.

Dorothy is survived by her husband, Chester, and their three children: Chester Gipson II (Wendy), Monica Gipson (Darrell), and Maurice Gipson (Patty) ten grandchildren, her mother: Willie Roberta Thompson, her siblings, Bessie Williams, Johnnie Faye Johnson, Harry Thompson, Harvey Thompson, Robert Thompson, Eva Lawanda Thompson, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and loving and caring friends.