Lipscomb community mourns the loss of security officer Maurice Conner
The Lipscomb community is once again mourning the loss of a colleague.
Kim Chaudoin |
Maurice Conner and his wife, Beverly, during a recent family vacation.
The Lipscomb University community is mourning the loss of Maurice J. Conner, an officer in the Lipscomb Department of Security for nearly 40 years. Conner died Wednesday, Jan. 20, following a brief COVID-19-related illness.
Conner began his service as a security officer at Lipscomb in July 1983. During that time he served primarily as an officer on the third shift, but he also served in various other capacities during his nearly 40 years of service to Lipscomb including leading the department for several years.
“While many in the Lipscomb community may not have had the opportunity to meet Maurice as he worked to protect our students and campus during hours when most of us were at home with our families, he had a tremendous impact on this community. He was known as a humble, gentle giant who loved this institution,” said Lipscomb President L. Randolph Lowry.
“As I have spent time over the last few days with our campus security officer, the deep and profound respect and love the security team had for Maurice was obvious as they relayed stories about shared work experiences, his humorous radio calls to dispatch to report on weather conditions during the third shift and their lively conversations about faith, theology and life.”
Maurice Conner
Conner was known by his colleagues as a “kind and gentle spirit.”
“Maurice loved the people around him, and it was a direct expression of how deeply he loved the Lord,” said Kyle Dickerson, executive director of Lipscomb’s Department of Security. “That showed in how he approached his work, his peers, me and everyone. He was just a big personality, full of love and joy, and he wanted to spread that joy and tell everyone he met about the God he served. He is already terribly missed.”
Julius Whitaker, Lipscomb security officer and third shift supervisor, said Conner was an example for others to follow.
“I always knew that whatever part of campus was under Maurice’s watch that it would be under meticulous watch,” Whitaker reflected. “He was the kind of officer that we strove to be on our shift. Maurice exceeded the standard we set for our officers day in and day out.”
“There is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that comes to mind when I think of Maurice — ‘What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.’ While he could be a man of few words, his actions led by example,” he continued.
In addition, Conner served as the preaching minister for the 19th Avenue Church of Christ in Springfield, Tennessee, where he faithfully served that congregation and community for decades. Conner’s association with Lipscomb began as a student as he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1981 and later went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Bible in 2000.
Conner is survived by his wife, Beverly; daughter, Chante, a graduate of both Lipscomb Academy (’01) and Lipscomb University (’06); son, Josh, also a Lipscomb Academy graduate (’03); and grandson Robert James Conner.
There will be a private graveside service for the family. A walk-through visitation is planned for Friday, Jan. 29 from 5-7 p.m. at Highland Hills Funeral Home & Crematory, 2422 Brick Church Pike, Nashville, TN 37207. Guests will be required to follow COVID-19 protocols. A public memorial service will be held this summer. Read obituary here.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to 19th Avenue Church of Christ in Springfield, Tennessee, or to the Maurice Conner Memorial Scholarship Fund at Lipscomb University.
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