DA Hipps dies of heart attack

By Lisa Majors-Duff

With these words, a red-eyed Debbie Brooks broke down Monday morning, shedding tears over the unexpected death of her employer, District Attorney Charles Hipps.

"I didn't realize it was going to be so hard for me to come to work today," said Brooks, administrative assistant in the DA's office at the Jackson County Justice Center. "But that's what he would have wanted us to do. He would have wanted us to carry on and hold court."

Hipps, 59, of Waynesville, district attorney for the 30th Judicial District since 1990, died of a heart attack while exercising Friday (Feb. 28).

"Charlie Hipps was a good friend, a great advocate for children and victims as a legislator and prosecutor, and a man who loved Western North Carolina," N.C. Gov. Mike Easley said. "His death is a great loss."

According to state law, the governor is charged with naming a replacement when an unexpired term occurs in the office of district attorney. Word of a replacement had not been announced as of press time Wednesday.

Jackson County Clerk of Court Frank Watson agreed Hipps will be missed.

"Charlie was a very effective district attorney," Watson said. "He dealt with everyone fairly."

"I certainly enjoyed working with Charlie," Sylva Police Chief Jeff Jamison said. "He was a man of great integrity and fortitude, and a man I always respected. He was a stand-up kind of guy.

Jamison went on to say that although "I didn't always see eye to eye with Charlie, he always stood up for what he thought was right. I admired that, and I'm certainly going to miss him."

Jackson County Sheriff Jimmy Ashe also commented about his professional relationship with Hipps over the years.

"I knew him for a long time as an officer and as sheriff," Ashe said. "In both those capacities I had a good working relationship with the district attorney and his staff.

"Charlie impacted the lives of many citizens of Jackson County and the other six counties in this judicial district," Ashe said.

"The 30th District Bar is missing a good member," said Tom Jones, president of the Jackson County Bar Association. "I felt like he was always available when needed."

Gene McAbee, chief of police at Western Carolina University, praised Hipps for his understanding of the unique law enforcement environment created by the university's student population.

"Charlie was a good friend of the university. He understood the special type of enforcement action we have dealing with students," McAbee said. "He was always willing to work with us in a manner that worked out best for the students and the university."

A former president of the Haywood County Bar Association, Hipps was elected the 30th Judicial District attorney in 1990 after having served as an assistant district attorney from 1970 to 1973 and as a member of the N.C. Senate from 1981 until 1988. Unopposed for re-election in November, Hipps received 6,038 votes in Jackson County.

Hipps earned his law degree in 1968 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he had earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1965. A native of Haywood County, Hipps was a Mason and a member of Waynesville Masonic Lodge 259. A trustee emeritus of Western Carolina University, he was a former member of the board of visitors at UNC.

Hipps is survived by his wife of 34 years, Jane Bates Hipps, an instructional specialist who last fall accepted the position of Title I lead teacher at Scotts Creek School.

He is also survived by a daughter, Elizabeth Jane Hipps Midyette of Raleigh; and two sons, Lt. William Travis Hipps, who is stationed in Australia, and John Bates Hipps, a medical student at UNC-Chapel Hill. Also surviving are his mother, Hazel Rhinehart Hipps of Lake Junaluska, a sister, a brother and two grandchildren.

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