Reginald Don Gilbert

Reggie Gilbert of Auburn won his brave battle with Alzheimer’s on June 25, 2025, passing peacefully in his sleep. He was 81 years old. 

Born Reginald Don Gilbert in Birmingham, Alabama on November 27, 1943 to John and Nelda Gilbert, he was raised in Mellow Valley, Alabama. After a brief time in Virginia, the Gilberts moved back to Alabama to settle in Birmingham. 

Reggie attended Avondale Elementary School, going on to play football, baseball, and basketball at Ramsay High School. Upon graduating in 1961, he attended Auburn University on a baseball scholarship and played Varsity Baseball as an infielder and centerfielder, helping take his beloved Tigers to Win the SEC Championships in 1964 and 1965. While at Auburn, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, where he served as Vice President. He was also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Honorary Leadership Fraternity, served on the Student Government Executive Cabinet; a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; a member of the Athletic Club; served in the Air Force ROTC; wrote for The Auburn Plainsman, and served as Chairman of the Student Body Entertainment Committee, wherein upon the committee voting to bring The Beach Boys to campus, he promptly booked James Brown instead, It was also at Auburn that he met a dark-haired North Carolina beauty and love of his life, Laurie Hardin. 

Reggie graduated from Auburn University in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in Business as an Economics major with minors in Speech and Sociology and was hired by Harbert Construction Corporation as a Project Office Manager for highway and oilfield construction projects. However, with a war overseas, Reggie knew it was his duty to serve his country and  enlisted in the United States Air Force, but not before asking for Laurie Hardin’s hand in marriage. They were married in Murphy, North Carolina on December 17, 1966. As they exited the church, it started snowing. 

Reggie and Laurie headed out west for his deployment, first to California until finally settling in Great Falls, Montana. During his four years of service in Strategic Air Command in the U.S. Air Force, Reggie achieved the rank of Captain. Having Top Secret Crypto security clearance, he was Commander of a Missile Combat Crew at Malmstrom AFB where he was responsible for controlling a flight of nuclear warhead Minuteman ICBMs. While serving his country, he received a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. He also received a son, Reginald Hardin Gilbert. 

Upon his separation from the Air Force, Reggie, Laurie, and young Hardy began the move back South to be closer to family, Working for Deering Milliken, he reported directly to Roger Milliken as he worked in Spartenburg, SC and then Shelby, NC. However, Reggie’s true passion was Banking, so they moved to Columbia, SC where he quickly rose to Vice President. In 1974, Reggie, Laurie, and Hardy were joined by Lauriston Carrie Gilbert, making the Gilbert home complete. Only one thing was missing: family. Wanting his children to be able to grow up with grandparents, aunts, uncles , and cousins just as he did in Mellow Valley, he returned to Birmingham in late 1976. 

In Birmingham, Reggie was a rising executive with First National Bank of Birmingham, soon to be known as AmSouth Bank. For over 6 years, the Gilberts enjoyed a wonderful life in Forest Park, where his children were able to walk to the same school he attended as a child, play in the same park, and grow up knowing the love and joy of Family. In 1983, the Gilberts relocated to Decatur, Alabama, where Reggie served as President of the Decatur branches of AmSouth. 

Decatur was a wonderful chapter for Reggie and his family, where they enjoyed years of friendship and fellowship. Those were happy days of golf and tennis tournaments at Decatur Country Club, joyous Sundays at First Presbyterian Church followed by First United Methodist Church, and extensive community involvement. During these years, Reggie served as President of the Kiwanis Club as well a director with The Morgan County Chamber of Commerce. 

Reggie resigned from AmSouth in 1993 and started his own financial institution, Heritage Bank, which officially opened in 1995. In the first 21 months of operation, Heritage Bank reached $50 million in assets, faster than any bank in Decatur’s history. After 3.5 years, Heritage had over $160 million in assets  and eventually expanded to eight locations throughout the state. 

However, Auburn was always in the hearts of Reggie and Laurie, so in 2002 he retired from Heritage, returning to the village they loved to be close to Carrie and their amazing granddaughters, Lauriston and Hardin Carpenter. Once in Auburn, Reggie and Laurie spent many happy years attending Auburn football and baseball games, supporting the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, and spending happy times with family. Reggie also continued his love of golf: a scratch golfer, he won tournaments at both Moore’s Mill Golf Club and the Auburn University Club. 

Reggie is survived by his loving wife Laurie; his children Hardy Gilbert (Jill) and Carrie Gilbert Carpenter (David Searcy); his granddaughters Lauriston Coleman (Wynne) and Hardin Carpenter; brothers Greg Gilbert (Margie) and Marty Gilbert (Sabrina); sisters DeeDee Litvine and Diane Gilbert, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews, all of whom he loved dearly. Years ago, he told his younger brother Marty that he envisioned finishing life sliding into home. And as Marty said, he did just that, sliding in just ahead of the tag. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at Fig & Ivy in Auburn on Thursday, July 10 at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to one’s charity of choice, although Reggie, a banker until the end would say, “Pay your debts instead!” We will miss him until the end of our days.