Director of Corrections Gupton dies
William “Bill” Gupton, director of the Shelby County Division of Corrections, has died, the county government said Tuesday.
He was 59. A news release didn’t mention a cause of death, but Gupton’s obituary thanked the West Cancer Center for its treatment of him, and also thanked people with Crossroads Hospice.
Gupton had been working as director of the county department until just days before his death on Friday, said county spokesman Dan Springer. Springer said he didn’t want to release much information about Gupton’s illness out of respect for his family.
Springer said Gupton is widely missed within county government.
“Every person that you mention his name, he just was genuinely liked by everybody,” said Springer.
Gupton had begun his career serving and counseling those with addictions, his obituary said. He had worked for other prison organizations before joining the county, which operates a prison facility near Shelby Farms.
Gupton had served as director of the Division of Corrections since September 2014, having been nominated by Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell and confirmed by the County Commission.
“I was truly lucky to call Bill a friend, and the county and department of corrections were fortunate to have him serve as the director,” Luttrell said in a statement. “Bill came to the corrections center at a time when strong leadership and a recommitment to the care and safety of inmates was desperately needed. Bill fulfilled that need always in a professional matter, and moreover, Bill had a genuine and very caring spirit about him. He will be missed.”
Visitation takes place from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday at Hope Church, 8500 Walnut Grove Road. The funeral follows at noon at the church.