Fredrick Jerome Gipson was born on March 12, 1960, in Montgomery, Alabama, to Thomas Gipson and Willie Mae Gipson (Simon). He was raised in Montgomery, where he discovered a natural gift for basketball at Prattville High School — a reflection of the drive and competitiveness that would follow him throughout his life.

After graduation, Fredrick answered the call to serve his country, enlisting in the United States Army. He served honorably as a Specialist Four from March 17, 1982 to February 12, 1986, earning an honorable discharge.

Fredrick was a man who lived entirely on his own terms. Independent, strong-willed, and loyal to a select few — if you earned his trust, you had it for life. He kept his circle small and his standards high. He showed love quietly but powerfully, through a well-timed word, a gift given without fanfare, or a joke that left you laughing long after he’d moved on.

Music was close to his heart — from Stevie Wonder’s “As” to Maxwell’s “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” and Barry White’s “Practice What You Preach.” The soundtrack of a man who was smooth, soulful, and always authentic.

On March 31, 2026, Fredrick passed peacefully at Piedmont Midtown in Columbus, Georgia, surrounded by his daughter, sister, and beloved nieces and nephews.

He leaves behind his daughter and only child, Jacora Gipson; his siblings Bertha, Barbara, Issac, Larry, Vernon “Val,” and Angela; and a host of nieces, nephews, and special friends who loved him in the way he allowed including James Haynes and Eric Parker.

He didn’t belong to the world. He belonged to the people he chose — and we were lucky to be chosen.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Wounded Warrior Project, the American Stroke Association, or the National Kidney Foundation.