V. Tupper Morehead M.D.

V. Tupper Morehead M.D. MDiv, TSSF, age 76, Brentwood, TN went peacefully to be with the Lord on November 16^th, 2023. Tupper was born in Nashville, TN on December 14, 1946. He was the son of the late William Waitmen Morehead and Louise Tupper Morehead, and was preceded in death by his brother, Billy Morehead. He is survived by his two sisters: Ginger Driver and Sissy Sobel. As a young man, Tupper attended Montgomery Bell Academy where he excelled in academics and his favorite sport—football. He then attended Davidson College on a football scholarship and played defense until 1968 upon his graduation. If you went to a Davidson College football game in the years Tupper played you might remember a distinct, fearsome cry he would yell out at the beginning of each game to inspire his team to victory. After undergrad, Tupper went on to medical school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis where he received his Doctor of Medicine on December 12, 1971. Once he received his Doctorate, Tupper joined the United States Army and moved to Tacoma, Washington to begin his residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Major Tupper Morehead completed his residency as an OB/GYN on July 30, 1976, and was stationed at Fort Campbell until he was discharged December 18, 1977. While at Fort Campbell he met Captain Sheila Nicholson. The two fell in love, became soulmates, and were married December 9, 1978. Together they raised a family of four beautiful children: Vernon T. Morehead Jr., born 1971; James Bolt Morehead, born 1973; Julia Louise Morehead born 1980; and Katie Marie Morehead born 1982. Tupper was a very loving, caring, giving, and spiritual father to his four children. Tupper now has four grandchildren: Theo, Nate, Carolyn, and Tupper. He will be fondly remembered by his first wife, Marguerite Weaver Kondracke. After Fort Campbell, Tupper and Sheila settled down in Clarksville, TN where Tupper set up a private practice for approximately five years. The family then moved to Brentwood, TN where Tupper practiced OB/GYN in the Nashville area. The love and dedication Tupper showed to his patients over the years was tremendous. To this day his patients speak highly of their time spent with him. After many medical mission trips to South Africa, Haiti (x3), Ecuador, and Guyana, Tupper retired from private practice in 2000 and enrolled at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts where he and Sheila lived next door to the Right Rev. Archbishop, Desmond Tutu. Tupper’s time in seminary was transformational. It deepened his own spirituality and taught him to accept and love all of God’s children. Following his Masters of Divinity, Tupper was called to East Tennessee where he worked with the Tennessee Health Department in five underserved counties, while also continuing his spiritual life alongside his brother and sister Franciscans. Tupper was professed as a Third Order Franciscan on June 18, 2005. He was a devout environmentalist and supporter of social justice. He regularly donated to such organizations as St. Vincent’s Orphanage in Haiti, Feeding America, Southern Poverty Law, Earth Justice, and the Environmental Defense Fund. This was one of many ways Tupper lived out his belief of service and generosity to others.

Close friends and family are welcome to attend Tupper’s burial service on December 1^st at 1pm at Larkspur Conservation, 155 Bear Carr Rd, Westmoreland, TN 37186, where Tupper will be naturally returned to the earth he loved so dear. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes and shoes for a short hike into the nature preserve; mobility assistance will be available for those who need it. Tupper’s celebration of life will be held the following day, Saturday, December 2^nd, at the Church of the Advent, 5501 Franklin Pike, Nashville, TN 37220. A visitation of friends and family will be held from 11am-1pm in the church hall, with a more formal celebration of life mass to be held afterward at 1pm. Food and refreshments will be available for guests at the visitation. In lieu of flowers please contribute to St. Vincent’s Orphanage Center Haiti, 925 Hertzler Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.