Al and Mary Lee Stubblefield: Creating a Legacy Through Their Christian Faith

Al and Mary Lee Stubblefield’s passion for helping others is deeply rooted in their Christian faith. Their devotion to faith has guided them through every aspect of their lives: their 47-year marriage; raising four children and nine grandchildren; their journey to Pensacola, the place they now call home; a successful career for Al at Baptist Health Care, where he retired in 2012; a calling to inspire other organizations to live their missions through faith, the chapter after retirement; and a lifelong commitment to serving and helping others.

“We have taken great joy in being able to give, certainly to our church and other evangelical causes, ministries and organizations we felt like were worthy,” Al said. “It’s been a big part of our commitment to do that consistently, across many organizations and individuals. We are passionate about finding ways to use our time, talent and treasure to make an impact.”

Al’s journey with Baptist began in 1985, when the growing family moved to Pensacola with the hopes of putting down roots in a place where they could officially call home. Throughout his 28- year career there, Baptist received significant national recognition for the level of care provided to the Pensacola community. During his tenure, Baptist, Gulf Breeze and Jay hospitals underwent several hospital expansions, improvements and updates, and additional facility locations were constructed, including Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile, Baptist Medical Park – Navarre and Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. In 1999, Al became the third president and CEO of Baptist Health Care, a position from which he would continue to elevate the level of care at Baptist until his retirement in 2012.

“A successful CEO is only successful if they surround themselves with quality people that make things happen,” Al said. “I’ve been really fortunate to work with outstanding people. We did some incredible things that Baptist has built on. I was fortunate, from a career standpoint, that opportunities came along for me to grow within Baptist that allowed me to be a part of a very special culture and be a part of one that is open to the Christian faith.”

Al and Mary Lee are excited to continue their legacy at Baptist by making a significant gift towards the new Baptist Hospital campus, currently under construction at Brent Lane and I-110. The emergency department waiting area will be named in honor of the Stubblefields for their generous gift.

“I lived through the challenge of trying to build and maintain and grow a facility that was built in the early ‘50s,” Al said. “We were constantly trying to keep it functional and competitive and maintain a level of care that patients deserve. I am thrilled to know that the organization now has the opportunity from a facility standpoint to start afresh. Mary Lee and I are excited to be able to play a small role in that by supporting this incredible new monument for the community that will be there long after most of us are gone.”

Life in retirement has not slowed down for Al and Mary Lee. When they are not spending quality time with their grandchildren (or cheering on Mississippi State football!), they continue to inspire others by living out their faith. Both remain very active through their church.

“I have the privilege of worshipping and attending Bible studies at First Baptist Church,” Mary Lee said. “I treasure that Al enjoys singing in First Baptist Sanctuary choir as much as I. My heart’s desire is for others to know freedom and joy in Christ, so I pray for ministries that share that truth.”

Al is the Haiti Ministry Team Leader through the church and often visits an orphanage in Galete Chambon, Haiti. On Thursdays, Al visits our local prison to teach the Christian faith and encourage them to lead faithful lives in the hopes to elicit impactful life change. He has also had the privilege to visit other hospitals in places like Kenya, China, Egypt, India, Canada and soon, Indonesia, to mentor and help the facilities build upon their workplace culture. The core of what he shares is Baptist’s story of living out our faith by putting our team members and patients’ needs first.

For Al and Mary Lee, their impact on others through Christian faith is their most important legacy. They are grateful that Baptist gave them an opportunity to make that impact here in Pensacola for almost three decades.