Obituaries
Sara Baldwin
Sara Bethany Baldwin of Rockford passed away July 21 from a sudden illness. She was 66.
She is survived by her husband, Douglass McConnell; and two sisters, Lani Corston of Perth, Australia, and Cherie Blizzard of Galax, Virginia.
Sara was preceded in death by brothers Harold, Brian, and Harrison Baldwin.
Sara earned her Bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater College in Virginia, her Master’s degree in Wildland Recreation Management from the University of Idaho, and her Ph.D. of Forestry from Clemson University.
She and her husband have lived in Coosa County since the 1980s, managing family forest lands and assisting forest landowner families across central Alabama. They have been active with the Coosa County Forestry Planning Committee and Coosa County 4-H. Their family forest land was recognized as a TREASURE Forest by the Alabama Forestry Commission in 1987, and in 1994 they were awarded the Helene Mosley Environmental Management award as the top TREASURE Forest in the state of Alabama.
Sara’s deep passion was her horses. She and Douglass hosted public horse rides on their family property four to six times a year since 1991. The rides through the land would bring over one hundred horses and riders to Coosa County, and on one ride there were 232 horses and riders!
Sara was the current President for Region 5 of the North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC). The organization promotes quality care for horses for competitive trail riding. She began competing in 2003 and hosted the National Championship Challenge at Rockford in 2005. Sara competed in and helped conduct NATRC events in each state of the southeast, including Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, South and North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.
In 2014 Sara and her horse Motion won the NATRC President’s Cup, the top award for the nation for competitive trail riding. She won NATRC National Championship awards seven times.
Sara was an exceptional horsewoman and recognized by many in the sport as an invaluable mentor for riders and advocate for horses. Sara touched the lives of many. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends, human and animal alike, who will treasure her memory always.
Family and friends are planning a memorial service for Sara to be held in September.
Bobby Jo Sanfilippo
Ms. Bobby Jo Sanfilippo, age 69 of Kellyton, passed away on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Bethany House. She was born on October 15, 1956, in Jefferson County, Ala., to Louis A. Dosier and Evie Jo Herring Dosier. Bobby was a U.S. Army Veteran. She worked for and traveled with NASCAR for several years. Dale Earnhardt was always her favorite driver. She enjoyed trips to Gatlinburg, watching wrestling and dumpster diving for treasures. She loved animals, especially her dogs.
She is survived by her friends, Dianne (Dwight) Goodwin, Amy Goodwin, Trisha Oldham Ashley, and Jerome Oldham; sister, Vickie McGowan; and brother, Robert Michael Jinks.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Evie Jo Dosier; father, Louis A. Dosier; and brother, Alan Wayne Dosier Sr.
A Memorial Service will be held at a later date at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo.
Memories and condolences may be shared at www.radneyfuneralhome.com.
Radney Funeral Home and Cremation Services is honored to serve the family of Bobby Jo Sanfilippo.
