Cathy Rye Gilmore ’68 was featured in Village Living for her work at the Virginia Samford Theatre in Birmingham, where she has served as the theatre’s president for more than 20 years.

James M. Pool ’79, a shareholder at Maynard Cooper & Gale in Birmingham, received the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Lawyer of the Year” award in the area of nonprofits and charities law. Pool has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in both the health care and the tax-exempt sectors and serves as chair of the firm’s health care and charitable foundations-tax exempt organizations practice groups.

Ken Watson ’80 served as an organizer for “Palestrina to Poulenc,” a chamber music concert hosted by Asbury United Methodist Church in Madison, Ala. Performers and members of the Madison Early Music Project presented a selection of pieces from the Renaissance to the early 20^th Century. Watson, director of traditional worship at Asbury, has an active background in music through both the church, the concert stage, and local arts organizations.

Quinton Cockrell ’85’s play, “Memorial,” debuted at Birmingham’s Red Mountain Theatre on Sept. 24 as a part of the theatre’s Human Rights New Works Festival dedicated to important, world-changing conversations. Cockrell’s play highlights racial violence in Alabama and is based on research from the Jefferson County Memorial Project and the Equal Justice Initiative. Cockrell has performed in and written plays for more than 30 years and currently serves as assistant professor at Troy University.

Matthew Woods ’89 recently led his final liturgy as director of music ministries at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Salisbury, N.C. Woods has served as an organist and choir director at St. Luke’s for almost four years and will soon begin a new position at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Laurel, Miss. He has served parishes as an organist and choirmaster throughout the southeastern U.S, and he is a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians and the American Guild of Organists.

Dawn Helms Sharff ’91, managing partner of Bradley LLC’s Birmingham office, has been named a Yellowhammer Multimedia Woman of Impact for 2021. The award honors women who shape and propel Alabama through their work in the non-profit, business, and government sectors. In addition to her management responsibilities with Bradley, Sharff has a thriving legal practice in the area of commercial real estate transactions, where she represents developers, public companies, privately held entities, and individuals.

Brooxie Carlton ’03 of Nashville has been appointed assistant commissioner of community and rural development for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Carlton most recently served as deputy assistant commissioner of rural development and has worked in the department for more than 13 years. In this role, she will help lead the department’s mission to expand economic opportunities across rural Tennessee.

Kelsey Frady Malone ’10 earned her Ph.D. in art history from the University of Missouri in 2018 and now serves as assistant professor of art history at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where she teaches courses in the Department of Art, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, and the Honors College. This year, Malone was honored with HSU’s Most Outstanding New Faculty Award for her commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and university service.

Aaron Sherrill ’13 has made physical therapy a mobile service through his business, MoveWell Mobile. Sherrill partners with gyms in the greater Birmingham area to offer convenient healthcare, and he is building up his staff with additional therapists and administrative support. He has been a physical therapist for five years, first getting into the field following his athletic career in football and track and field at BSC.

Elizabeth “Libby” Roark Schmalzried ’41 of Harrisburg, Pa., on Sept. 12, 2021. Schmalzried studied sociology and psychology at BSC and earned her teacher’s certificate. She was awarded a scholarship to pursue graduate studies in social work at Richmond Professional Institute (now Commonwealth University) and served as executive director of the Gaston County Girl Scout Council. During World War II, she served as director of recreation for the American Red Cross Services to Armed Forces across the Southeast. Schmalzried served at numerous organizations after her family moved from Dallas to Harrisburg: service club director at Olmsted Air Force Base; volunteer resources director at Harrisburg State Hospital; and field representative for the state’s Central Region Office of Mental Health. Schmalzried was active in the community, serving on the board of the Irish Heritage Society and as a member of the historical committee at the Harrisburg State Hospital. She also served as a eucharistic minister for nine years and as a board member for St. Luke’s Guidance Clinic.

Esther Horn Rogers ’48 of Fairfield, Ala., on Aug. 31, 2021. Rogers loved music and used her talent as a vocalist in musical performances, often accompanied by her sisters on piano and violin. She graduated from BSC and the Birmingham Conservatory of Music, and she taught music in the Jefferson County School System. Rogers was a member of Hunter Street Baptist Church for 63 years.

Dr. Norton M. Baker, Jr. ’56 of Orlando, Fla., of Sept. 12, 2021. Baker knew he wanted to become a physician by age 13 and charted his course at BSC, following his years in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Wright Aircraft Carrier. After graduation, he enrolled at the School of Medicine at UAB, returned to the Navy during his first year to serve in the Medical Corps for three years, and completed medical studies in 1959. He relocated to Orlando and completed his orthopedic residency at Orange Memorial Hospital, specializing in sports medicine. Baker entered private practice in 1963 and practiced until his retirement in 2011. He served as both chief of orthopedics and chief of staff at Orlando Regional Medical Center, was named a Surgeon of Distinction, and was a member of several professional associations, including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, and Florida Medical Association. Baker was also an active member of the community, serving as team doctor for Boone High School for 35 years – the football stadium there was renamed the Norton Baker Field in 1987 – and as a volunteer physician at Grace Medical Home in his retirement. He was a member, elder, and deacon of First Presbyterian Church.

Lohner Frances Faulkner McLeroy ’56 of Columbiana, Ala., on Sept. 21, 2021. McLeroy attended Auburn University, where she was a member of Phi Mu Fraternity, before graduating from BSC. She taught in the Shelby County School system for 23 years and was active in the Columbiana community as the president of the Columbiana Culture Club, a member of Columbiana United Methodist Church, and a founding member of the Columbiana Community Bible Study. Her husband, the late Robert F. McLeroy, Sr. ’53, also attended BSC.

Patricia Garwick Flowers ’71 of Dothan, on Sept. 2, 2021. Flowers studied education at BSC and earned her master’s degree in education from Jacksonville University. In 1979, she and her husband, Dr. John J. Flowers, Jr. ’67, moved to Dothan. She was an avid tennis player and an advocate of junior tennis, often volunteering her time with the United States Tennis Association and the Alabama Tennis Association. Flowers’ daughter, Dr. Kristen Flowers Crowder ’97, and son-in-law, Dr. Charles Crowder ’98, are also BSC graduates.

Ibelia O. “Bea” Johnson ’82 of Adamsville, Ala., on Sept. 2, 2021. Johnson studied business administration at BSC and was the owner of B-Plus Tax Services & Realty, LLC. She was a faithful member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church.

Sue Curtis Jones ’83 of Birmingham on Sept. 10, 2021. Jones was a lifelong learner and pursued knowledge and training in a variety of fields, including as a small aircraft pilot, real estate professional, artist, equestrian, photographer, and cake decorator. After raising her three children, she earned degrees in business from BSC and in nursing from Samford University, leading her to a career in geriatric nursing. Later in life, Jones accepted a position as a librarian and often called it one of her most favorite jobs. She was a faithful and beloved member of Parkwood Church of God.

Kelly V. Stevens ’87 of Daytona Beach, Fla., on Aug. 23, 2021. Following her studies at BSC, Stevens received an MBA from Samford University. Her career was initially focused on major account sales in medical equipment. While living in Orlando, she became actively engaged in the arts and women’s empowerment as a member on multiple organization boards. This involvement led her to create a multi-city pop-up art exhibition, Nude Nite, that drew up to 10,000 attendees each year for 15 years. Stevens was a world traveler, avid art collector, and curator.

Tobin B. Greene ’90 of Birmingham on Sept. 7, 2021. Greene was a graduate of BSC, where he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, and UAB. He was employed with Nextran Truck Centers as an accountant in Fultondale, and he was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Birmingham.

Dr. David M. Comfort of Birmingham on Aug. 29, 2021. Comfort graduated from Mississippi State University before attending medical school at Ole Miss and the University of Tennessee. He began his medical career with an internship at Norwood Hospital in 1951 and then set up practice as a general practitioner serving both Walker County and the town of Praco. In 1953, he entered the Naval School of Aviation Medicine, served three years as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Navy First Marine Air Wing in Korea, and later served the Blue Angels and Jet Instructors Basic Training Unit at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. When he returned to Birmingham, Comfort completed his urology residency at Carraway Methodist and practiced Urology at Norwood Clinic through 1985, when he retired. He served as President of Staff to Carraway Methodist and was a member of many prestigious medical organizations, including the American Board of Urology, American Medical Association, and American Urological Society, to name a few. He was also active in the arts community and served on the BSC Development Board and the Summerfest Board of Directors. Comfort was a member of Independent Presbyterian Church, Shades Valley Rotary Club, and The Club. He and his late wife, Gera Comfort, were steadfast supporters of BSC’s fine and performing arts programs, and their daughter Angela Comfort ’79 is a graduate of BSC.