Margaret and Harry Stopp Give and Lead by Example

When community members work together and leverage resources to help others, we all benefit. Margaret and Harry Stopp believe when people are willing to give back and invest in the communities they live in, we are able to better address challenges and help others. Having lived in Pensacola for almost 35 years, this is the reason why they continue to step up to serve, lead and give to Baptist Health Care and their community.

Margaret and Harry, who have been married for 50 years, both credit the culture, compassion and local engagement in their reason for choosing Baptist and giving back to help its people.

“The Baptist culture is really important,” said Margaret. “We see the leaders and team members striving to make a difference – to care for people. Baptist walks the walk when it comes to what Jesus taught, and we admire and appreciate that. No one is perfect, but we see Baptist working toward perfection, always trying to treat those they serve with compassion and dignity.”

Margaret is the current Baptist Health Care Foundation board chair and has been serving on Baptist boards since 2009. She and Harry have been longtime patients of Baptist, referred by trusted friends and colleagues.

Through their years of patient experiences, commitment to and passion for Baptist, Margaret and Harry felt moved to make an incredibly generous donation toward the new campus project at Brent Lane and I-110.

“I believe it’s important to be the philanthropic example I want to see in others,” said Margaret. “This community has been generous to our family, and we are honored to give back to it, and I can’t think of a better way than through our work through Baptist.”

The Stopps remind others that one act, one donation, can lead to big results. Harry shared how he served on the board to form the now Pensacola Cultural Center, and one person wrote a check to help with their cause. Soon after, others began to help and donate too.

“When that one person in the community wrote that significant check, it helped us move forward with the proposal we needed to form the beginnings of our cultural center,” said Harry. “That starter gift set the success in motion.”

Remembering that example and the examples of others inspire Margaret and Harry to continue being that example now. They learned from other patrons what it meant to be dedicated to a cause and see it through from start to finish.

The Stopps are excited to be a part of the current and future progress of Baptist. They see it as a true legacy for Northwest Florida, believing it will offer a universal approach to health and healing.

“Baptist takes care of the whole person and the whole family, which takes care of our community,” said Margaret.

We thank Margaret and Harry for being extraordinary leaders and givers to Baptist and to this community. Their footprints of generosity will live on for generations to come.