February 21, 2001

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Some people quietly walk among us, never giving a clue as to the impact they someday will have on the world. Mrs. Voncile Shealy of Dothan, Alabama, was one of those people. An unassuming school teacher, wife, and stepmother, Mrs. Shealy died last fall, leaving a bequest to UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Center totaling nearly $7.5 million. The gift, given in memory of Mrs. Shealy’s first husband, will be used to further life-saving cancer research.

“There are few individuals fortunate enough to be able to say that cancer has not in some way affected the life of someone close to them,” said UAB President Ann Reynolds. “Mrs. Shealy’s interest in helping us achieve our goals will enable the Cancer Center to move closer to the day when more effective treatments — and possibly a cure — may be found for this dread disease.”

Voncile Johnson Nelson Shealy lived nearly 96 years, and according to those who knew her, didn’t waste a day of any of them. Born in 1904, Mrs. Shealy attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in the 1920s, earning a bachelor’s degree in education. Soon after she began teaching, she met and married a fellow teacher, Dan Nelson. According to Mrs. Shealy’s close friend Dr. Ben Byrd of Dothan, both Voncile and Dan were good managers — both professionally and personally. Professionally, they managed their classrooms and students with kindness; personally, they managed their finances and investments with savvy. In the 1930s, the couple began investing in land and other commodities. In the 1950s, Dan was diagnosed with lymphoma; he and Voncile traveled to Birmingham, where he was treated for his illness. He passed away in 1951.

Voncile’s second husband, John P. Shealy Sr., lived for only a few years after they were married, but he brought into the marriage two sons whom Voncile adopted as her own. Dr. Ben Byrd said that she once told him, “When I get to heaven, the first thing I’m going to do is look up the first Mrs. Shealy and thank her for having such fine boys.”

Mrs. Shealy took pride in her ability to cultivate new growth — from the flowers in her bountiful garden, to the young minds in her classroom, to the investments she and her first husband made throughout their marriage. Dr. Byrd remembers that Mrs. Shealy was an avid reader who preferred the Wall Street Journal and Forbes to her local newspaper. She always had a hand in choosing and managing her investments, and the stock market was a favorite topic of conversation among Mrs. Shealy and her friends.

With the death of her first husband, Mrs. Shealy experienced firsthand the pain and suffering that cancer can cause. As her investments grew, she decided to use her wealth to make a difference in the lives of others. She included in her will a bequest to UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Center in memory of her first husband, Dan Nelson.

Charles “Scotty” McCallum, D.M.D., M.D., professor emeritus and former UAB president, knew Mrs. Shealy for 15 years and remembers her fondly as “a very polite, warm, and nice” person. “It is philanthropy such as that shown by Voncile Shealy that has permitted our institution to move forward at a rapid pace and take its place among centers of medical and academic leadership in this country,” said Dr. McCallum. “Gifts like hers provide the facilities and resources to attract outstanding scientists and physicians such as those at the Comprehensive Cancer Center to serve the people of Birmingham and the state of Alabama.”

As of January 31, 2001, the Campaign for UAB has raised $238 million of its $350 million goal. This includes $11.5 million for 80 endowed scholarships and fellowships, $38.7 million for 42 endowed chairs and professorships, $26.8 million for building construction and renovation and equipment, and $161.0 million to allow for a measure of excellence in our instructional programs, purchase new technologies, develop new programs and initiatives and support faculty research. The Campaign for UAB is scheduled to conclude at the end of 2003.