Gayle Spalding Birchfield, 69 of Florence, Alabama lost her brief but hard-fought battle against COVID on January 7, 2022, at North Alabama Medical Center. She was surrounded by her beloved family as she joined her Heavenly Father.
Gayle was born August 19, 1952, in Tuscumbia, Alabama to Louis Clement Spalding and Hyacinth Smith Spalding. Gayle had four brothers and one sister – Michael, Cynthia, Pat, Bob and Lou. Gayle and her siblings were raised by loving and hard working parents. Her mother was a nurse, and her father operated Spalding Drugs in Florence and Sheffield. Gayle attended Catholic school at Our Lady of the Shoals in Tuscumbia and then Muscle Shoals High School. In 1973, she graduated from St. Vincent School of Nursing in Birmingham, Alabama.
Early in her career, Gayle worked as a nurse in various parts of the country. During that time, she had her son, Lt. Col. Jimmy Birchfield, and daughter, Lauren Birchfield Schnupp. Shortly after, they settled in Montgomery where she began working at Baptist Medical Center East as a labor and delivery nurse. This was the beginning of Gayle becoming one of the most respected and admired nurses by her peers. She tirelessly worked to care for her patients, always going above and beyond what was expected. She did the same for the nurses she hired, becoming a treasured mentor and friend.
Gayle was a member of the team that opened the Labor and Delivery Unit at Humana East, now Baptist Medical Center East. Next, she single-handedly researched and implemented the Bereavement Care program for families that lost a baby. As the unit grew, a triage unit was organized and opened under Gayle. She worked in Triage until she relocated to Florence in 2013.
The next part of Gayle’s life was spent selflessly giving of herself to those around her. She spread her love and filled people with hope, always with her calm sweet voice. She loved shopping with her sister, Cynthia and she loved her family, especially her children and grandchildren.
Gayle is survived by her two children, Jimmy (Beth) and Lauren (Nick); three grandchildren, Kylie and Addie Birchfield and Skylar Schnupp; her siblings, Cynthia (Travis) Hovater, Pat Spalding, Bob Spalding, Lou (Carol) Spalding; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Michael Spalding.
A visitation will be held on Friday, January 14, 2022, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. at Our Lady of the Shoals in Tuscumbia. A memorial service will immediately follow at the church. Gayle will be laid to rest in Holy Cross Cemetery.
The family would especially like to thank the ICU staff at North Alabama Medical Center for their efforts in taking care of Gayle.
Flowers may be sent to Morrison Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Baptist Health Foundation for COVID or Neonatal relief.
