Martha (Bradshaw) Gibbs passes away at 99

Martha was one of the finest ladies I ever knew.

Martha Gibbs touched thousands of lives and set a great example for all of us.

One of finest ladies I was ever privileged to know has passed away.

Martha Austin (Bradshaw) Gibbs died Saturday at the age of 99 in Birmingham/Vestavia, where she had lived at a retirement home for several years.

Martha had countless friends in Troy, which became her hometown of sorts.

Martha was previously married to the late Al Gibbs (a former mayor of Troy) and Coach Charlie Bradshaw, the head football coach at Troy University from 1976 through 1983.

Martha had two children, daughter Leigh Bradshaw Denson, and the late Charles Bradshaw, who was my best friend. Charles, who considered Troy his hometown, died 10 years ago of cancer at the age of 49.

I don’t think I’ve ever met a more gracious and classy lady than Martha, who was also a very close friend of my late father and mother.

As some people might know, Martha was perhaps the closest friend of Mrs. Paul “Bear” Bryant and remained very close to the Bryant family her entire life.

Through Coach Bradshaw’s coaching connections, she knew a Who’s Who of the college football coaching fraternity and was known and beloved by probably thousands of former players from Alabama, Kentucky and Troy State.

She produced two wonderful children, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren and must have become a friend to anyone or everyone who spent five minutes around her.

Some Martha trivia …

One fun bit of trivia about Martha is that she was the person who gave the neighborhood “Crow Hill” (which is actually on George Wallace Drive) its nickname.

Martha lived in one of the first houses on Crow Hill and when she wrote her return address on letters she always put “Crow Hill, Troy, Alabama.”

The name, which obviously caught on, came from Mr. Crow - Carol Amos’s father and Mike Amos’s father-in-law - the man who helped develop one of Troy’s finer and best-known neighborhoods.

Growing up, I spent many happy days and nights at Martha’s house on Crow Hill!

Martha lived a long and meaningful life, although she lived her final years grieving the loss of her son Charles.

I was supremely fortunate to have been one of her many friends. When I think of how a lady should act, I’ll always think of Martha Austin Bradshaw Gibbs.

Funeral services for Martha will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery. Rev. Karl Segall will officiate.

The obituary, which is outstanding, is copied below.

Martha Ridley Gibbs

JANUARY 26, 1926 – MAY 10, 2025

Martha Austin (Bradshaw) Gibbs passed away peacefully on May 10, 2025, at St. Martin's in the Pines, Birmingham, Alabama. Martha was born in Tampa, Florida, on January 26, 1926, and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, where she worked alongside her family at Austin’s, their family-owned clothing business. A true southern lady, she embodied elegance, hospitality, and an unwavering devotion to her family, friends, and community.

Martha was preceded in death by her son, Charles Austin Bradshaw; her husband, Grover Alva Gibbs Jr., former mayor and public safety commissioner of Troy; her parents, James Larkin Austin and Lina Barrow Austin; and her brothers, Jack Larkin Austin and Willis Gerald Austin.

She is survived by her daughter, Leigh Bradshaw Denson (Dee); her daughter-in-law, Kathryn Broach Bradshaw; her beloved grandchildren, Joe Larkin Denson (Julia), Douglas Austin Denson (Lauren), Charles Dee Denson (Lura), Charles Austin Bradshaw, Jr., and Beverly Carlisle Bradshaw; seven adored great-grandchildren; and her sister-in-law, Dorothy Stuckey Austin.

Pallbearers are Dee Rodrick Denson, Warren Randal Austin, Joe Larkin Denson, Douglas Austin Denson, Charles Dee Denson, and Charles Austin Bradshaw, Jr. Honorary pallbearers are Jeffrey Larkin Austin and William Floyd Gibbs, Jr.

In her earlier years, Martha was married to Charles “Charlie” Idus Bradshaw, a celebrated college football coach. Through Charlie’s storied career, with coaching tenures under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama, as head coach at the University of Kentucky, and later at Troy University, Martha became affectionately known as the “First Lady” of college football. She embraced the ups and downs of coaching life with elegance and grace.

She was known by many names: Miss Martha, Miss Alabama, Mrs. Gibbs, Mrs. B, but most importantly…Mom and MeMaw. To know her was to be welcomed, to be loved, and to feel important. She had a remarkable way of making everyone feel like they belonged. Martha was an ambassador of everything she touched, and she lived life with vibrance, dignity, and an unshakable love for her people. Martha leaves a legacy of faith, family, friendship, and football- a life fully lived and deeply loved.

A very heartfelt thank you to Demeteriss Barnes and the caregivers at St Martin’s in the Pines, who treated Martha with such dignity and grace as they cared for her during her later years of life. The family is forever grateful for the love they showed her.

A graveside celebration of Martha’s life will be held Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 11:00 am at Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery, Alabama, with Dr. Karl K. Stegall officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Magic Moments, an organization close to the family’s heart. Magic Moments: 2112 11th Avenue South, Suite 219, Birmingham, AL 35205.

Editorial Comment: Magic Moments (see link here) is a great organization. The non-profit grants wishes to Alabama children with life-altering medical conditions. I once served on the organization’s board. Martha’s late son, Charles, helped found the Montgomery chapter and was the long-time president of the wish-granting organization.