Continuing
Julia’s Legacy

Julia was born in Rhodell, West Virginia, the daughter of Arvil Boyd Cyphers, Sr. and Mildred Cyphers. The family relocated to Kingsport in 1945. She was named for her grandmother, Julia Lane, a school teacher from Scott County, Va. She had a love of books and shared her grandmother’s passion of learning and higher education, which has led to the funding of scholarship programs through local universities for many years. She also had a strong affection for the Appalachian Mountains, the history of the people of Appalachia and her own family heritage, which she studied and shared throughout her life.

Julia’s legal career spanned more than two decades, focusing on government tort liability. She was a member of the Kingsport Bar Association, serving as its president in 2000. She was also a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and was admitted to practice before all State Courts in Tennessee, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Fourth Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Julia attended First Presbyterian Church of Kingsport, and was a dedicated member of the Kingsport Rotary Club for more than 20 years, where she was actively involved in their community service projects and initiatives. Her contributions to the club and the Kingsport community will be deeply missed.

Julia’s life was sustained by her deep love for family, including her marriage to her beloved husband, Lacy. She and Lacy bred, raised and showed Tennessee Walking Horses, including “Mack K’s Big Story”, “Go Boy’s April Love”, “Sweet Revenge” and “Final Expression”, many of which competed for national championship titles. She also shared the love of many family dogs and cats throughout her life, including Victoria, Charlie Jack, Sarah, Blue and many a barn cat.