We are heartbroken to share the passing of Dorothy Alice Kimbrough, who left us on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. Dorothy, better known as Dot, was a cornerstone in the Kimbrough family, and lived a life of support, strength, laughter, and love.

Dot was born in the small town of Gilbertown, Alabama in 1928, to Frederick Kimbrough Sr. and Thelma Smedley. She grew up in the context of the family farm, and the cowgirl lifestyle was in her blood from an early age. She loved hunting and fishing, was an excellent markswoman, and never shied away from a bull ride, a tractor, or a shooting contest. (Her nephew Ian remembers Dot outshooting him with a BB gun at age 92.) As a young woman, Dot kept the books at a local lumber company, which allowed her to save enough money to build her own house on the family land in Gilbertown; cousins still live there today.

Dot’s younger brother Fred moved to New York City in the 1960’s to pursue a career in the performing arts—a move that ended up impacting Dot’s life in many ways. After Fred married and had two children, Dot relocated to NY to help raise Tatiana and Ian, and allow Fred and his wife Svetlana to continue their careers on the stage. After several years in the city, the family relocated to Cape Cod where they lived for seven years, enjoying frequent beach trips, games of tennis, ice cream at 4C’s, and the warmth of a cozy radiator through the cold New England winters. Dot became a second mother to Tatiana and Ian during those early years of their life, and from then on was an integral member of the family.

The Kimbroughs returned to Gilbertown, AL in 1980, where Fred and Svetlana started a performing arts company to share the arts with the rural Choctaw County community. Fred and Dot also continued the family cattle farm business, and Dot became an instrumental part of both of these endeavors. At the performing arts school, Dot was not only the regular stage manager and set builder, but also a frequent performer. On the farm, she wrangled cows, fixed fences, baled hay, and co-managed operations with her brother. In addition, Dot was also deeply connected to her local community. She was heavily involved in the Gilbertown Women’s Club, eventually serving as president, and was an active member of the Gilbertown Methodist Church.

As Tatiana and Ian grew, Dot remained their biggest cheerleader, providing a consistent supportive and positive presence through all their explorations and adventures. Tatiana competed in rodeo—a sport that her daughter Lexi has carried forward—and Dot loved nothing more than to join them for a weekend competition. She quickly became the informal ‘queen of the rodeo,’ well-loved by all, and pampered in her elder years with special seating and treats.

After their retirement in 2016, Dot moved with Fred and Svetlana to Shelby, NC; when Svetlana passed away in 2021, Dot and Fred joined Tatiana in nearby Lawndale, NC. Dot is survived by her loving niece and nephew, Tatiana Kimbrough Sewell and Ian Frederick Kimbrough, and grand-niece Michaela Alexis (Lexi) Sewell. We know that her spirit will live on through them, and through everyone whose lives were touched by her kind heart, bright smile, incredible capacity, and love of the natural world.

The family will hold a small in-person celebration of life in the coming months. In lieu of flowers, we encourage those who wish to honor Dot’s life to either make a contribution to the Junior Southern Rodeo Association (one of her favorite groups), or to donate or volunteer at a local community service organization that is meaningful to them. 

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