Community difference makers: Stan Skipper’s life of service continues to inspire Millbrook

Amanda Pevey

Elmore Autauga News

For decades, service has shaped nearly every chapter of Stan Skipper’s life. From a 37-year military career to greeting children each morning at the Grandview YMCA. Skipper has quietly built a reputation for kindness, encouragement, and dedication to others. Now, as he faces one of the toughest challenges of his life, the same community he has spent years lifting up is rallying around him, a reflection of the difference he has made in countless lives.

Born and raised in Montgomery, Skipper moved to the Coosada area in 2000 and soon became part of the broader Millbrook community. Long before many families came to know him as “Mr. Stan,” he had already spent years helping others.

In 1995, Skipper volunteered with the Redland Volunteer Fire Department, serving for five years. During that time, one emergency call remains vivid in his memory.

“There was a car accident, and the kid got a lollipop stuck down his throat,” Skipper said. “By using my hand, I opened up his mouth and pulled out the lollipop.”

Skipper said he was the only firefighter who realized what was happening.

“The child was a young child, and at the time did not make a sound while having the lollipop in his mouth and his face turning purple,” he said.

His instinct to step in and help others was something he had already been developing for years.

At 19, Skipper joined the military, beginning a career that would span 37 years. He spent his first four years on active duty with the United States Air Force before continuing his service with the Air National Guard. Over the course of his career, he completed five combat deployments. He served as a dual-status technician, serving both the United States Department of Defense and the Air National Guard simultaneously.

When Skipper retired from military service in April 2021, his life of service did not slow down.

That same year, he began working part-time at the Grandview YMCA, part of the YMCA of Greater Montgomery. There, he works in maintenance and also drives a bus that transports children to and from the YMCA after school and during summer camp. He is also part of the maintenance team at the new 17 Springs sports complex.

For many families, his daily presence has become something special.

“Anyone who knows Mr. Stan knows his love for children,” said Amanda Lee, mother of Hudson and Emerson. “My kids light up every single morning when we pull up to the Y and see his truck sitting there. They cannot get out of the car fast enough because they know he will be waiting with a big smile, ready with a hug or a fist bump.”

Lee said those small moments mean a great deal to parents as well.

“It may seem like a small thing, but the way he greets them makes them feel safe, seen, and important,” Lee said. “And as a parent, there is nothing more comforting than leaving your kids somewhere knowing they are cared for by people who genuinely love them.”

Outside of work, Skipper also became involved with the Millbrook Men’s Club in 2021 after being recruited by his father-in-law, Earl. The organization focuses on supporting the community and helping those in need.

But about seven months ago, Skipper faced a challenge unlike any he had encountered before.

He noticed a knot on his leg just below his calf muscle. Within a month, it had grown to about the size of an avocado. After an MRI and biopsy, doctors diagnosed him with myxofibrosarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

Radiation treatments and immunotherapy began in December in hopes of shrinking the tumor. On Feb. 11, 2026, Skipper underwent major surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“I went to the hospital thinking I was getting an amputation,” Skipper said.

Instead, surgeons performed an extremely complex procedure to save his leg. They removed the tumor along with his Achilles tendon and part of his calf muscle, then transferred a latissimus dorsi muscle from his back to reconstruct the damaged area and connect it to what remained of the tendon and calf.

Although the surgery had been performed elsewhere before, it had never been done at UAB, and none of the surgeons there had completed that exact type of procedure prior to Skipper’s case.

Following multiple surgeries, Skipper spent 21 days in the hospital before finally returning home to begin the long healing process.

Throughout the ordeal, he said support from those around him has meant everything, especially from his supervisor, Bill Myers.

“Mr. Bill, he is incredible,” Skipper said. “He is a pleasure to work for. He has checked on us when a tree fell in the yard and at the hospital. Bill is part of my family.”

Despite the long road to recovery ahead, Skipper already has a clear goal.

“I want to be able to drive the Grandview YMCA bus again,” he said. “I want to be able to walk, but my ultimate goal is to drive that bus again and see the children again.”

Even outside the YMCA, children often recognize him.

“When I go to Walmart, and some little kid comes up and says, ‘Hey, Mr. Stan,’ you’ll see his mom and dad look at him like, ‘Why is he talking to this guy? How does he know you? Then I tell them, ‘I’m the bus driver for the Millbrook YMCA. I go to the schools to pick up your kids, that’s how they know me,” said Skipper with a smile.

Those who know him say that his desire to return to the children is exactly what defines him.

“Mr. Stan has a special way of making every child feel like they matter, and that kind of presence is rare,” Lee said.

“Stan Skipper is an incredible asset to both the Grandview Family YMCA and 17 Springs. Even through numerous cancer surgeries, he has remained overwhelmingly positive and even checked in on how things are going at work from UAB Hospital. His great attitude, constant smile, and genuine care for others make him someone everyone loves and a true blessing to our staff, members, and community,” said Bill Myers, vice president of operations for Grandview and Wetumpka YMCA and 17 Springs.

His wife, Lissa, said even during some of the hardest moments of his recovery, Skipper continued to encourage the people around him.

“His ability to uplift the people around him is astounding sometimes,” she said. “Even the doctors at UAB would make special trips just to come see him, just to talk to him. They were shocked that he had such a great attitude and positive outlook. It was almost like they needed that little bit of positivity during the day.”

Skipper says the approach he has taken with people, especially children, is simple.

“Talk to kids, interact with them, do not be shy,” he said. “You never know what a kid is going through. Sometimes a kid does not need to be yelled at. Sometimes just talking to a kid and finding out what is going on, be there for them if they need it.”

He also encourages others to pay attention to their health.

“If you see a knot on your leg or body anywhere that you think something’s going on, go get an MRI,” Skipper said. “Go to the doctor and tell them that you want an MRI done.”

For Skipper, the idea of being a “difference maker” comes down to a single word he has carried with him since his military days: approachable.

“If you are approachable, people are going to come to you,” he said. “Kids are going to come to you and seek out advice or acceptance.”

For years, Skipper has been that approachable figure, the man with the welcoming smile, the encouraging word, and the steady presence for children and families throughout the community. As he continues his recovery, many of those same families are now returning the support he has given so freely, proving that sometimes the people who make the biggest difference are the ones who simply show up every day ready to care.