When Dorothy Gainey won the title of Ms. Troy Health and Rehabilitation Center 2015 in March, she thought that was the greatest thing since she was crowed May Queen at Shellhorn School when she was in fifth grade.

“For May Queen, you got votes by putting money in a jar. My granddaddy saw to it that I would win,” Gainey said, laughing. “Ms. Troy Health and Rehab was different and it gave me a little confidence that I might do all right at the Ms. Alabama Nursing Home Pageant.”

Gainey didn’t just do “all right” in the pageant Monday in Hoover. She made the Top Ten and was then crowned first runner up.

“When I made the Top Ten, I started thinking maybe I could win, not for myself, but for all of the wonderful people at Troy Health and Rehab that were wishing and hoping I would win,” she said. “I hope I didn’t disappoint them.”

Jeanette Dawkins, TH&R activities, assured Gainey that everyone at the Troy facility was thrilled and excited to have their “queen” first runner up in the statewide pageant that featured 62 residents of nursing home facilities.”

“She represented Troy Health and Rehab extremely well,” Dawkins said. “She made us all very proud.”

Gainey said the pageant was an experience that she will always remember.

“We got to Birmingham on Sunday afternoon and were taken out to eat and that was very nice,” she said. “My interview was at 9:15 Monday morning so I had to be at my best early.”

Gainey said she was expecting to be asked questions from a prepared list but that didn’t happen.

“They asked me about being one of the Golden Girls at Troy Health and Rehab,” she said with a smile. “Four of us are the Golden Girls. I’m Dorothy, but everybody says I should be Blanche because I flirt a little sometimes.”

When the Top Ten finalists were announced and Gainey made the group, her heart started to flutter a little.

The Top Ten finalists were asked on-stage questions, this time from the prepared list.

“I was asked what person in history would I most like to spend time with and why,” Gainey said. “I said Jonas Salk because he developed a vaccine against polio. My brother had polio, and it’s such a devastating disease. But we were fortunate. There were nine of us children and, for only one to get that very contagious disease, was almost a miracle.”

Looking back at the Ms. Alabama Nursing Home Pageant, Gainey has only good and happy thoughts.

“I wish I could have brought home the crown but I’m thrilled to be the first runner up,” she said. “I can’t help but be thrilled.”

Gainey is a native of Pike County. She worked for 50 years in the health care field. Many of those years were in nursing home facilities in Mississippi, Texas and Florida.

She has been a resident at Troy Health and Rehab for a year and a half.

“The judges asked me how I made the transition from being an employee at a nursing home to a resident,” she said. “I said that I’m living in the lap of luxury. I don’t have to go grocery shopping or cook my meals and the care that I get is outstanding. The transition was very easy for me. This is a wonderful place for me to be.”