Jamie and Carol Loeb’s story is one of deep roots, enduring partnership, and quiet resilience. Both raised in Montgomery, they chose to build their lives in the River Region, watching it evolve while remaining committed to the community that shaped them. Married for 31 years, their relationship has grown through seasons of joy, professional legacy, service, and profound loss, including the heartbreaking passing of their daughter during the pandemic. Through grief, career transitions, and the shift to empty-nest life, they have remained anchored in friendship, faith, and mutual respect. Together, they model what it means to age with grace—choosing each other daily, honoring both togetherness and individuality, and finding renewal through love, purpose, and community.
BOOM!: You both grew up in Montgomery and chose to build your lives here. What does the River Region mean to you now, looking back over the decades?
Carol: Montgomery will always be home, it’s where we raised our children and where we were raised. So much of who we are is because we grew up here. Looking at how far Montgomery has come, I am grateful for the progress and for the acknowledgment of our troubled history. Equal Justice Initiative is doing amazing things here, and I am grateful to see it, because I think moving forward has to involve acknowledging the past, even if that’s not always pleasant. The revitalization of downtown Montgomery is so refreshing to see.
Jamie: I always knew I was coming back to Montgomery because I wanted to work with my father at his company. I loved my work, and I have loved living in Montgomery all these years. It has been exciting to see all the changes to life in Montgomery, whether it’s the new restaurants and apartments downtown or the new shopping centers and restaurants out east. The River Region was a great place to raise our family. Now, with the influx of new businesses, the different minority-owned restaurants, grocery stores, and businesses have added a rich layer to life here that wasn’t here when we grew up.
BOOM!: You’ve been married for 31 years. When you think about the early days of your relationship, what first drew you to each other?
Carol: I remember thinking Jamie was a lot of fun when I first met him. He liked to host parties and connect with friends. I loved his commitment to his family and his quirky sense of humor. His consistent, loyal devotion has been a rock in our lives all of these years.
Jamie: Carol was always easy to talk to. I have always loved our talking and laughing together. I loved her intellect and how easily she interacted with people. The stuff she remembers. I am four years older, and it is always fun to find things that I remember, but she doesn’t. Even though we both grew up here and knew a lot of the same people, we did not meet until our friends introduced us after college.
BOOM!: Marriage changes over time—careers, kids, seasons of joy and hardship. How has your relationship evolved, and what has helped you stay connected through it all?
Carol: It’s such a journey to spend a life together, raising kids, and getting through the good and the bad. I think Jamie and I do a really good job of staying connected as a couple and allowing each other to be individuals. We really like to spend time together, especially traveling or just walking the dogs. But we also respect each other’s individual differences. Jamie is more of an extrovert, and I tend to like more downtime to myself.
Jamie: Carol and I wanted the same things for our family. She worked hard raising fantastic girls. Now that we are empty nesters, we take time to enjoy life together either by ourselves or with friends. Just knowing that she is there made it so much easier for me to find solace during our difficult trials of losing a sister, parents, our oldest daughter, and deciding it’s time to close a business I loved. There is no way I could have made it through all that without her support.
BOOM!: You became empty nesters during an incredibly difficult season in 2020. How did that moment reshape your relationship with each other?
Carol: This one is harder to answer because our grief was so new and overwhelming at that time. For me, the main goal was to make sure our surviving daughters could move forward with their lives and not have to worry too much about us. I felt strongly that they needed to go back to school or start college without concern for us, even though I knew that would be hard. I think we moved through that time together in a way that strengthened our relationship. Even if we were struggling differently, just knowing the other was there and that we could count on that was everything. As time has moved on, we have both found even more enjoyment and traveling together, both with and without our girls. We enjoy going out with friends and hosting at our home.
Jamie: I am the youngest of 4 children. When I left for school, I saw that my parents became closer and really enjoyed life together. That was a lesson for me to emulate. 2020 was a difficult year for me because I had just closed the company, I lost my mother in February, and in April, we lost our daughter Honor. Experiencing empty nesting and grieving at the same time brought us closer together. We quickly saw how much we relied on each other and that we were there for each other. We are emulating the same joy my parents had.
BOOM!: You’ve shared that you grieved differently, yet stayed united. What did it look like to give each other space while still walking through loss together?
Carol: Losing our oldest daughter to Covid was the most devastating thing either one of us had ever endured. While our grieving often looked different, neither of us ever got angry or frustrated over that. We have always had such a strong bond that we could allow one another to grieve in whatever way we needed, without resentment. The thing I remember most from that time was just knowing that Jamie was always there, even if we were on different pages some days with our grief. That’s something I never doubted, and it pulled me through, and continues to do so.
Jamie: Because everyone is different, we all grieve differently, and each person must go through their grief. We did this alone, and we did this together. There are some things that one could talk or read about that the other was not ready to think about. By allowing each of us to grieve in our own way, we gave each other the space to heal and find our way out of the fog so to speak. By doing this and being there for each other, we became closer.
BOOM!: Many couples struggle to remain friends after hardship. It’s clear you genuinely enjoy each other. How do you continue to “choose” one another in this stage of life?
Carol: These days, we really find ourselves enjoying time together, and also respecting our individual time. We walk our dogs every night and really look forward to that time when we visit and recap the day. We love to plan trips and look forward to times when we can visit our daughters.
Jamie: We still have the same goals and interests. That makes it easier to remain friends and close to each other. We also want to see the other happy. That makes a big difference.
BOOM!: Jamie, you followed in your father’s footsteps at Loeb and Company, eventually leading the company before closing that chapter. What did it mean to carry on that legacy?
Jamie: I always wanted to work with my father in the cotton business. I gravitated to the business while I was in high school. At first, I was worried if I could really follow in his shoes, but in 1996, I chose to transition the company from only selling to US mills by expanding into an export market that we did not know about. Before we made this transition, my father made sure that we all knew the basics of the business. That allowed me to continue in the business through some difficult times.
BOOM!: Your father also helped found the Landmark Foundation, and you’re now serving as its President. What are you hoping to achieve through your time and service?
Jamie: In 1968, my father and Milo Howard founded Landmarks to preserve Alabama history and show how different people lived in the 1850’s. It’s hard to believe that in 2 years, we will be celebrating 60 years of preservation in Montgomery. I know that all the restoration work in downtown is a result of their hard work and advocacy. Today, preservation has changed, and Landmarks wants to be the center of that change in Montgomery. I want to help make sure that we are at the center of preservation and downtown economic development.
BOOM!: Carol, your health journey has been nothing short of life-changing. You’ve lost significant weight, embraced strength training, and reversed major health issues. What motivated you to begin—and what’s kept you going?
Carol: I am diabetic, which runs in my family, and about 3 1/2 years ago, my doctor switched me to Mounjaro. I had never heard of it and did not know anything about it as far as weight loss. I began to notice the food noise was much decreased, and weight started to come off. I had been strength training for years, but was not making a lot of effort to lose the weight consistently. As I began to see how the medicine was going to support me in my weight loss, I was motivated to work harder. I know some people lose muscle on this medicine, so I increased my strength training and my cardio. It has helped me manage anxiety and grief, and really given me structure. I don’t always love the exercise, but I love the results, and I love how it makes me feel. I love feeling healthier.
BOOM!: How has prioritizing health and movement changed not just your body, but your confidence, energy, and outlook on aging?
Carol: These days, we are learning so much about aging and how to increase our chances of aging more healthfully. Strength training and muscle mass seem to be very important for women as we age, so committing myself to that feels like giving myself a good chance of healthy days ahead. It also makes me feel stronger than I have in years, which is amazing to say when I am 57. It’s gratifying to see what your body is capable of at almost any age. It has really surprised me to see it in a great way.
BOOM!: Volunteering plays a big role in your lives—from Meals on Wheels to the One Place Justice Center. Why is service still so important to you in this season?
Carol: I spent so many years as a stay-at-home mom, with a daily purpose, that it was important to me to continue that. Getting involved with organizations that help others and strengthen our community was so important to me. Prior to my current Board service, I was also on the board of Montgomery Pride United, which is a cause near and dear to my heart.
Jamie: When I was growing up, my parents constantly taught us that we are supposed to give back to our community through action so that we can make life better for others. I want to spend my time working with organizations that do that. I am rolling off the board of the Community Foundation. I usually try to be involved with 3-4 organizations at a time so that I can give proper service to them.
BOOM!: You’re both deeply involved at Temple Beth Or. What has that faith community meant to your family over the years?
Carol: Our Temple family at Temple Beth Or, and the larger Jewish community, is an anchor in our lives. We truly enjoy working with everyone in the community to strengthen our ties and support our congregation.
Jamie: Temple Beth Or has always been a home for us spiritually and socially. We love being at Temple with our Jewish Family. Growing up here has allowed me to be around people who watched me and our children grow up. We pray, celebrate, and eat together in happy times, and we mourn together during hard times. This gives us a connection to loving people that is hard to find outside our home.
BOOM!: The Jewish Food Festival and Art Fair on February 26 is a beloved community event. Why is this fundraiser so important—not just financially, but relationally—for the temple?
Carol: As the food festival and art fair approach, we have all been very busy at work in the kitchen at Temple, baking and cooking things for the event. It really is fun to get in the kitchen with everyone and laugh and talk and bond. Working together toward a common goal can be very igniting. I think that is just as important as the fundraising aspect of this event. I am in charge of the art fair, and we are so excited to offer this to the community and highlight artists and their skills. Those of us who work on the art fair will be so busy on the day, but it’s a fun kind of busy, and it makes us grateful for each other.
Jamie: I find the Food Festival so important for the Temple. We all grew up with the kitchen as the center in our families’ interactions. So many of us come together to cook, and spending time together in the kitchen allows us to bond in laughter and stories like any other family. Also, the Festival allows Montgomery to see our Temple and have a glimpse into our culture through food. Some people come are coming into the Temple for their first time, and they get to hear from the Rabbi about our services. This is important for our community to learn about us.
BOOM!: Looking ahead—travel, time together, service, and health—what does “aging well” look like for you as a couple, and what hope would you offer other couples walking into this season of life?
Carol: At the risk of being repetitive, I think it’s so important to make sure you’re doing things as a couple that you enjoy, and that strengthen your relationship and your bond, but also recognize that you are different individuals and allow each other the space for that.
Our girls live in distant cities, but we are in close touch with them frequently, and it makes the distance seem less concerning. We love that they have embraced the world and they’re getting out there and making their own way.
Jamie: I think that staying active physically, socially, and mentally is the best way to age well. I watched my grandfather and parents age gracefully into their late 80’s and mid-90’s while doing this. I hope we can do this as well as they did.
Quick Take with Jamie & Carol
One word that describes this season of life: Renewal
Favorite way to spend a quiet evening together: Taking our dogs for a walk and watch some TV.
Coffee out or dinner at home? Dinner at home.
Who’s more likely to plan a trip? Carol
A place in Montgomery that holds special meaning for you: Our home is a refuge for us and we find so much comfort there.
Walks, workouts, or weekends away? Walks
One thing you still enjoy doing together after all these years: Dinner with friends and traveling.
Early riser or night owl? Jamie is an early riser and Carol is a night owl.
Favorite meal to share: Asian food.
Something that makes you laugh together: We got two puppies two years ago, and they are a constant source of entertainment.