AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — In the spring of 1981, the first class of Alabama Extension Master Gardener intern volunteers started working toward their certification. Mary Lou McNabb was the driving force who made that happen. Known colloquially as the mother of the Alabama Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program, McNabb passed away April 20 at the age of 98.

Remembering a Legend

Mary Lou McNabb is known as the mother of the Alabama Extension Master Gardener Program.

McNabb and her husband moved to north Alabama from New York in 1980. That is where, two years prior, she became a certified Extension Master Gardener volunteer through Cornell Cooperative Extension. With a love of gardening and desire to teach others, McNabb wanted to bring this program to her new home. She worked with former Madison County Extension Agent Gary Murray and Alabama A&M University to make that a reality.

Since the program’s inception, an estimated 10,000 plus people have earned this volunteer certification in Alabama. Kerry Smith serves as program coordinator for Alabama Extension Master Gardener. She said McNabb poured herself into everything she undertook.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that thousands of people are grateful to Mary Lou for bringing this Extension program to Alabama,” Smith said. “And many other people who may not have ever heard her name benefit from the ongoing efforts of today’s Extension Master Gardener volunteers.”

The Alabama Master Gardeners Association remembered McNabb with a tribute during their 2026 annual conference. The event took place in early May in Huntsville. The organization has an annual award named in her honor: the Mary Lou McNabb Master Gardener of the Year Award. This goes to a volunteer who has shown exceptional leadership in community projects and service to local and state associations.

“Mary Lou had a fierce passion for plants and the many ways they connect people, and I mean that as the highest compliment,” Smith said. “She believed that gardening should be part of everyone’s life and always promoted the benefits of teaching kids to grow a garden. She knew that could be the beginning of a healthy, lifelong habit and that learning to grow food is important.”

Living History of Master Gardeners

Before her passing, McNabb was interviewed about the program’s history, as well as her unending passion for gardening.

People can watch her Alabama Public Television interview in the Spotlight on Agriculture episode entitled “Master Gardeners” at aptv.org. McNabb also made a guest appearance on Alabama Extension’s “From the Ground Up!” podcast. People can listen to her season-one interview on Episode 6 at aces.edu.