Dr. Barbara M. Thompson

Doctor Barbara Ellen Morgan Cunningham Bowden Thompson, 81, of Birmingham, AL died Thursday, March 12, 2015 in Birmingham, AL. Dr. Thompson was born in Piedmont, AL to Ilah McCord Morgan and Earl Sparks Morgan Sr. on June 20, 1933. She was a lifelong Auburn Tiger and graduate of the university.

Barbara graduated from Piedmont High School in 1951 as valedictorian. She continued on to Auburn University where she pledged Alpha Gamma Delta. She was named one of the Loveliest of the Plains during her time at Auburn and graduated in March 1955 with a degree in English Education.

Barbara married the Auburn Knight Carol Cunningham on March 19, 1955. The couple stayed in Alabama for a few years before relocating to Gulfport, Mississippi where they both taught. The couple had three children: Carolee, Andrew, and Miles. Carol was killed in 1971 in an automobile accident. In 1972, Barbara received her Masters of Counseling in Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. During that same time, she was named one of the Outstanding Women of America.

In 1976 Barbara moved back to Birmingham and married William ‘Bill’ Anton Bowden, Jr. During this time she joined Vestavia Hills Methodist Church and remained a member until her death. She survived Mr. Bowden in July 1980 and received her PhD in Psychology from the University of Alabama in 1981. Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant was honored to receive his honorary diploma on the same day. She worked for the state of Alabama’s Department of Education specializing in drug and rehab counseling from 1981 until her departure in 1985. She began working with the Bradford Group, managed by Brookwood Hospital in Birmingham. During her tenure there; she published several books on a variety of topics including psychology, drug dependency, and depression.

In 1989 Barbara married her greatest love, John ‘Jack’ Christian Thompson. Together they lived in Pass Christian, MS where she was an active member of the community, reader, traveler, and bridge player. After his death in December 1994, she became an even greater philanthropist in the Gulf Coast community. She actively supported the Salvation Army and helped create “The House That Jack Built”, a battered women’s shelter on the Coast. She remained in Pass Christian until Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Barbara returned to Birmingham in 2005. She was an active reader, traveler, member of her neighborhood garden club, and two social societies, the Silhouettes and the Crescent Club. She was quick to tell a joke and always ready for an interesting conversation. She never hesitated to give her time to others; constantly counseling and helping. In 2007 she was named to the 1856 Society, highlighting her significant donations to Auburn University over the years. She held an open mind and loved her family and her six grandchildren unconditionally.

Survivors include her three children and their spouses: Carolee Cunningham Davis (Bob) of Denver, CO, Andrew Cunningham (Laura), and Miles Cunningham (Donna) both of Birmingham, AL; her two brothers, Earl and Joe Morgan, both of Birmingham, AL; and her six grandchildren. She is missed already.

Visitation will be from 1-3 PM on March 16, 2015at the Southern Heritage Funeral Home in Pelham, AL. The service will follow at 3 PM followed interment.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the charities of your choice in her memory.