Alma Lee Squibb

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” 2 Timothy
4:7. On August 2, 2025, Alma Lee Gray Squibb slipped the bonds of this Earth
straight into the loving arms of her Precious Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Born on July
20, 1929, she was the third daughter of the late Hubert Harrison and Alva Murr Gray,
owners and operators of Gray and Son Milling Company, Limestone, Tennessee., She
was a lifelong resident of Washington County, Tennessee, having grown up playing in
the mill race and exploring along Carson Creek in the Oakland Community. Alma Lee
lived most of her adult life as a resident of Sulphur Springs Community.
Alma Lee graduated from Sulphur Springs High School in 1947 and spent a short time
working as a waitress for her father at his restaurant, The Lindy Loo, in Tampa, Florida.
She married the love of her life, John William “Bill” Squibb, Sr. on February 10, 1951.
Alma Lee and Bill were blessed with six children---Johnny, Ramona, twins, Paula and
Paulette, Mark, and Sarah. Alma Lee devoted herself and sacrificed a great deal to
raise her children to be respectful and hard-working individuals. She was employed for
twenty-five years by the Washington County Education System in the Food Service
Division, working primarily at Daniel Boone High School Cafeteria.
Alma Lee had four passions in her life-her family, genealogy, God and her church, and
cooking.
When it came to family, she displayed a “mother bear” mentality that was both protective
and nurturing. Even at the end of her life, she devotedly proclaimed, “My family is my
life.” In her last months, she reminisced for hours about her life, telling stories from her
childhood and stories about her beloved Daddy, Mother, husband and family.
Because of her love of family, she developed a passion for genealogy. She became
something of a genealogy sleuth—traipsing through cemeteries, searching through
county records, searching through old newspaper articles, and amassing an impressive
collection of information and old photographs.

Alma Lee spent a great deal of her time in worship, fellowship, and dedicated service to
her Lord and to her church, Sulphur Springs Methodist. In her early years, Alma Lee
was a member of the Brethren denomination but joined the Methodist Church after her
marriage. Throughout the years, she served her Lord in various capacities---mentoring
in the youth program, singing in the choir, sewing Christmas pageant costumes, making
apple-butter and canning green beans, participating in the women’s mission group
outreach, and making food for church socials and bereavement meals—to name a few.
She loved and was adored by her Sunday School Class.
Her last passion, cooking, was her trademark. She was widely renowned for her
cooking and baking, not only in her church, but also in her community. People would

often arrive quite early Saturday morning of the Sulphur Springs Methodist Harvest
Festival each September and wait in line just to get a cake or pie baked by Alma Lee
Squibb! One gentleman even traveled from North Carolina for her German Chocolate
and Coconut Cakes. Baking and cooking were her primary ministries to others in times
of need and healing.
In addition to her parents Hubert and Alva Gray, Alma Lee was preceded in death by
her beloved husband, Bill; a brother, Horace Gray; two sisters, Dorothy Broyles and
Bertha Keys; brothers-in-law Ronald Atwood, Dwight Barnes, Earl Keys, Gyp Broyles,
and Don Squibb; sisters- in- law, Joyce Squibb, Barbara Squibb, Marguerite Gray, and
Kaye Atwood, and grandson-in-law, Joseph Barrett.
Alma Lee is survived by one sister, Velma Barnes; one sister-in-law , Faye Squibb; two
sons, John William “Johnny” Squibb, Jr. and Hal Mark Squibb (Cheryl); four daughters,
Ramona Bird (David), Paula Maupin (Rick), Paulette Winkle (Robert), and Sarah
Squibb; four grandsons, John William “Billy” Squibb III, Andrew Bird, Ricky Maupin
(Emily), Christopher Winkle; six granddaughters, Amber Brooks (Jeremie), Catherine
Squibb, Brittany Phillips (Eric), Andrea Smith (Zach), Jessica Barrett (special friends,
Austin and Nate Fink) , Rachel Hatch (Zac); four great grandsons, Luke Smith, Lenox
Maupin, Cooper Phillips, Hudson Hatch; two great granddaughters, Lucy Maupin and
Jacklyn Barrett, and special friend, Henry Walker, who affectionately called her Mamaw,
and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express special thanks to: Teri Pierce, Tiffany and Amelia of
Amedisys Hospice Care, and Kelsey of the State of Franklin Home Health Team,
Pastors Scott Brady and Zach Smith, David Ford and Swifty Pig, and the Sulphur Spring
Methodist Church members, most especially the Meal Train, for their very special
assistance during Alma Lee’s extended illness. Alma Lee and the family have been truly
blessed by these angels on earth.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Sulphur Springs Methodist Church on
Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 7PM. with Dr. Scott Brady and Reverend
Zach Smith officiating and music provided by Joshua McFadden, and Gail Morris
providing music. The family will receive friends from 5-7 PM prior to the service, and other times at the home of Paula and Rick Maupin. The internment service will be held Friday, August 8, 2025, at 11am.
the Sulphur Springs Cemetery.
The Pallbearers will be grandsons and grandsons-in-law Billy Squibb, Andrew Bird,
Ricky Maupin, Christopher Winkle, Austin Fink, Zac Hatch, Jeremie Brooks, and Eric
Phillips.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Sulphur Springs Methodist Church Music
Fund or the Sulphur Springs Cemetery.

Jonesborough Funeral Home, 423-722-8888