Dr. Elizabeth Sanders Jacobson

Visitation will be Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., followed by the Memorial Service at 2 p.m. at the church, 5080 Cahaba Valley Trace, Birmingham, AL 35242.

Libby graduated from Miramar High School in Florida and attended Auburn University, Auburn, AL, to earn a degree in Microbiology. At Auburn, she was named Auburn University’s Most Outstanding Senior.

She earned her medical degree in 1999 from the University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, where she graduated with honors. While she pursued her medical degree, she was awarded Most Outstanding Surgery Student and established herself as a brilliant student and leader. She completed her dermatology residency at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Libby was a board-certified Dermatologist and a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. She began practicing as a Dermatologist at Southview Dermatology in Birmingham. In 2008, she founded her own practice, Inverness Dermatology and Laser, in Hoover, AL. She was known as “Dr. J” by her staff, patients, and countless medical professionals who she mentored and trained.

Libby's personal and career accomplishments are far too numerous to list in their entirety but highlights are:

She was an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and she served as a past President of the Alabama Dermatology Society.

In 2010, she was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which was awarded by the President of the United States Council on service and civic participation for her extraordinary commitment to volunteerism in the field of Dermatology. Her knowledge, expertise, and passion allowed her to educate many students within the large scope of dermatological care, from basic principles to the most complicated cases. She dedicated her career to the daily fight against skin cancer, saving numerous lives.

While at a conference in Atlanta, GA, in 2018, Libby and her husband Keith acted quickly to resuscitate Zachary Kohen, a 4-year-old boy, who was found unresponsive in a swimming pool. Zachary is healthy and well today as a result of their life-saving actions. The American Heart Association honored the Jacobsons with the Heartsaver Hero Award.

In October 2019, Libby donated time and effort to the search for Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney, who was kidnapped from a housing community in Birmingham. Libby funded the majority of the reward for any information regarding the case.

Libby was a dedicated parent to her own children’s various academic and extracurricular activities, including sponsoring the competitive Westminster Robotics Team. Her passions included her family, traveling, hiking, and competitive tennis. She was a published author and enjoyed reading, drawing, paddleboarding, and photography. She was curious and ambitious and pursued her goals with tenacity, style and grace.

Libby was an incredibly loving woman whose generosity knew no limits. The effect she had on many, many lives will resonate for eternity. She held herself and everyone around her to the highest standard and set an example for all of us to soar. She was an inspiration, especially to women, granting opportunities, confidence, and mentorship that empowered them in life-changing ways. She was a shining light in the lives of all who knew her and we are all forever blessed to have known and loved her.

Libby is survived by her husband, Keith Stewart Jacobson, whom she married at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham on June 1, 2002. She is also survived by her children, Kathryn Elizabeth Sanders, Samuel Keith Jacobson, and Sarah Claire Jacobson; her grandson, Wilder McCrae Sanders; her mother, Jacqueline Ione Nichols; her sister, Kathryn Grace Nichols Dudek of Highlands Ranch, CO; and her father, William Houston Nichols of Miami Springs, FL.

Libby was preceded in death by her brother, James Andrew Nichols, and her sister, Deborah Ellen Nichols.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to a new foundation to support those struggling with mental health. At this time, donations can be made through Gofundme.com/Libby-jacobson-md