A Lifetime of Care: Celebrating the Legacy of Elvis Ethridge After Nearly 63 Years of Service to Baldwin County
4/29/2026
Foley, Alabama — After nearly 63 years of unwavering dedication, compassion, and service, Baldwin County bids farewell to one of its most beloved healthcare professionals, Elvis Ethridge, who is officially retiring from Baldwin Health.
Elvis began her journey in healthcare on February 5, 1963, when she became a licensed practical nurse at just 20 years old. Only a few months later, on April 8, 1963, she joined what was then known as South Baldwin Hospital. What followed was not just a career, but a lifetime of service that would leave a lasting imprint on generations of patients, families and colleagues across Baldwin County.
Over the decades, Elvis became a cornerstone of care within the hospital, known not only for her clinical excellence but for her steadfast presence in moments when the community needed her most. During hurricanes and times of crisis, when others were evacuating, Elvis remained committed to her patients, her team and her calling.
Her daughter, Dicki Wittner, recalls those moments vividly.
“There were times when hurricanes came through and we couldn’t leave because Mom had to be at the hospital. That was just who she was, her patients came first. The level of dedication she gave to Baldwin Health and this community is something our family has always been so proud of.”
Elvis’s impact extended far beyond patient care. She built lifelong relationships with her colleagues, including Betty Woods, a longtime nurse supervisor and director of the operating room. The two were more than coworkers; they were lifelong friends, having known each other since high school, where they would sit together on the steps during lunch. That bond carried through decades of working side by side, often taking call together during a time when the surgery unit operated with just four staff members—two registered nurses and two surgical techs.
“We were more than colleagues, we were family,” Betty shared. “There are so many stories from those years… some you just can’t put into words. But what I can say is that Elvis was the kind of nurse and friend that you don’t come across often. She gave everything she had to this work and to the people around her.”
That sentiment is echoed throughout Baldwin Health and the broader community, a place that has been shaped, in part, by Elvis’s quiet strength, resilience, and unwavering heart for others.
Margaret Roley, CEO of Baldwin Health, shared her gratitude for Elvis’s extraordinary career:
“On behalf of Baldwin Health and the entire Baldwin County community, we extend our deepest gratitude to Elvis Ethridge for her nearly 63 years of service. Her commitment to caring for others, often in the most challenging circumstances, reflects the very heart of what healthcare should be. Elvis’s legacy is one of compassion, strength, and selflessness, and her impact will be felt for generations to come.”
From a young nurse stepping into her calling in 1963 to a respected and beloved figure in Baldwin County healthcare, Elvis Ethridge’s story is one of purpose, sacrifice, and love for her community.
Her legacy is not only measured in years but in lives touched, families comforted, and a community forever changed by her presence.
Elvis has left the building.
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