Jeanne Blackburn Voigt

Jeanne Blackburn Voigt of Tuscaloosa, formerly of Birmingham, died on October 8, 2011, at her residence. She was born on July 28, 1921, in Birmingham, the third of seven sisters, to Felix Jackson Blackburn and Sarah Ellard Blackburn.

She is predeceased by husbands, Will Tom Graves and Lawrence Allen Voigt, and her six sisters. Survivors include her daughter, Rhoda Graves Smith (Glen) of Tuscaloosa; grandsons, Malcolm Thomas Smith (Claudia) of Los Angeles, Calif. and Glen Edwards (Ted) Smith of New York; great-granddaughter, Uma Snow Smith; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jeanne attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She was a long-time (51 years) active volunteer at the Birmingham Museum of Art, a member of the Service Unit at St. Mary's–on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church in Birmingham, and former president of the Alabama Episcopal Church Women. She served on the boards of the Birmingham YWCA and the Episcopal Foundation of Jefferson County, and was a member of the Belvedere Club.

She played a pivotal role in the planning, development, and early management of St. Martins in the Pines Episcopal Retirement Home in Birmingham, a vision that evolved from scratch in a basement office at St. Mary's-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church. Her husband, Larry Voigt, was St. Martin's first director.

Jeanne and Larry loved traveling in Europe and visited there many times.

One of Jeanne's legacies is her artwork, produced when she was an active painter, and proudly displayed at the Smith house in Tuscaloosa.

The family extends its profound appreciation to Capstone Village, Hallmark Manor, and Hospice of West Alabama for their extraordinary care and support.

There will be a memorial service at St. Mary's-on-the-Highlands in Birmingham on Friday, October 14, 2011, at 1 p.m., with a reception to follow at the church with Heritage Chapel Funeral Home & Cremations, a Dignity Memorial Provider, directing.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to St. Mary's-on-the-Highlands Episcopal Church in Birmingham or Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa.