A Legacy of Care: Gene Sherrill and Brookridge’s Mission Through the Years
For Gene Sherrill, Brookridge has never been just a place to work. It has been part of his story for decades. And it’s a story worth telling as ThriveMore celebrates its 75th anniversary of serving older adults across North Carolina.
Long before Gene became chaplain at Brookridge nearly 10 years ago, he was helping lay the foundation for the community itself. In the 1980s, Gene served as a pastor within the Baptist State Convention and was actively involved in fundraising efforts to build what would become Brookridge. Ground was broken on the current campus in 1987, and when Brookridge opened its doors in 1989, one of the first residents was a member of Gene’s church.
Brookridge is the Winston-Salem campus of ThriveMore. Founded in 1951 as the Baptist Homes for the Aging with the Resthaven community in Winston-Salem, the organization later opened Hayes Home nearby. When both communities closed in the 1980s, Brookridge was built to carry that mission forward in a new way.
From the beginning, Gene believed in what Brookridge stood for.
“It’s just a marvelous place to be,” he said.
So when former president Bill Stillerman invited him to consider the role of chaplain years later, Gene saw it as an opportunity to come full circle and serve a community he had believed in from the start.
According to Gene, while Brookridge has grown and evolved over the years, its heart has remained the same.
“The through-line is the concern for and the care of the quality of life for older adults,” he said.
What has changed is how that care is delivered. Today, Brookridge continues to invest in upgrading its campus, modern amenities and new technologies that support residents in living full, engaged lives while aging well.
Gene points out that none of it happens without the people who make Brookridge what it is.
The residents and the team members see this as a calling, he said. They give of themselves every day to care for others, to listen and to love.
For Gene Sherrill, Brookridge represents more than a career or a campus. It reflects a shared commitment to faith, service and community that has endured for generations and continues to shape the future of ThriveMore’s mission in Winston-Salem.