Playing It Forward—A Life Generously Lived and Cheered On

For close to two decades, Keith Bowers and his wife Mary were fixtures at UAB softball games. It was almost impossible to miss the couple, always seated on the UAB side, cheering the team on or keeping the umpires in line, like proud parents. But the couple didn’t have any children on the team, and they weren’t Birmingham natives.

A Korean war veteran and pharmaceutical representative by trade, Keith hailed from Quincy, Illinois. He met Mary, his wife of 50 years, while traveling for work, and in the ’90s they settled down for good in a town just outside of Birmingham. As soon as they arrived, they set out to find a local sports team they could support; Mary had been a talented basketball player in her youth, and as a couple they were both dedicated sports fans.

Wayne Morris, a family friend and manager of the Bowerses’ trust, explains that “wherever Keith and Mary lived, they pretty much followed the local team, whoever that may be.” And so it was through almost random geographic chance that UAB gained two of its most steadfast, devoted, and generous fans.

The Bowerses attended all sorts of UAB sporting events, but they had their favorite in the women’s softball team, essentially following it from its inception. And while Mary would pass just a year before the softball team would open its new facilities in 2010, on March 1, 2016, the team dedicated its home stadium as Mary Bowers Field—honoring both the memory and gifts of Mary and Keith to the program and their support of the head coach who started it, Marla Townsend.

As a financial supporter and loyal fan of UAB’s athletic teams for close to 30 years, Keith made it his mission to ensure the team he and his wife were so passionate about would have access to a world-class facility. He also ensured its student-players were supported even after he and Mary would no longer be able to attend games. After his passing in January 2021, Keith’s will dictated a substantial gift to the UAB softball program. Morris says, “Keith donated a generous sum to the girls’ softball program to be distributed upon his death,” with funds going toward a new softball and baseball clubhouse. In addition, a scholarship fund will be created for women’s softball, supporting players’ academic pursuits off the field.

Keith’s lifelong generosity is not lost on the players who now play in a world-class facility named after his wife, nor has his fervent support of the program been forgotten. In fact, in the years after moving into the new field facility, UAB won a spot in the NCAA tournament for five out of six seasons.

"Mary and Keith Bowers have been instrumental in the success of the UAB softball program. Their passion for our program cannot be understated. Keith wanted to honor his wife Mary and did so with a level of generosity that has helped the UAB softball complex become one of the best in the country,” says UAB’s Director of Athletics Mark Ingram. “UAB is dedicated to winning championships, and the Bowers family is a major reason why the Blazer softball program is able to compete at the highest level each and every year.”

Keith’s personal kindness and support will be remembered by the many teams and players he and Mary touched at UAB over the years, and their steadfast commitment to the university will be felt for many years and successful games to come, both on and off the field.

Learn the different ways you, too, can leave a legacy like that of Keith and Mary Bowers. Contact the Office of Planned Giving at (205) 996-7533 or plannedgiving@uab.edu for more information.