Adelbert Letts Stagg

Adelbert Letts Stagg was born on April 24, 1920, to Alfred and Mary (Ritchey) Stagg. He died Wednesday, June 12, at home.

He was raised in Nashville, Tenn., the youngest child in a large, close-knit family. Both parents and most of the children were musicians. The household often included boarders to help offset the expenses of such a large family. Three brothers became physicians, the two sisters dieticians, and as adults, scattered throughout the country, they vacationed together well into their 80s.

Dr. Stagg attended Southern Missionary and Emmanuel colleges. He received his medical training from the College of Medical Evangelists at Loma Linda, Calif., serving his internship at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids. He served his country with distinction during World War II as a statistician and industrial medical specialist in the United States Army. After the war, Dr. Stagg completed his post-graduate work in general surgery and cardiology at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and hung his shingle in the rural community of Hartford in 1948. Dr. Stagg spent 60 years serving the medical needs of four generations of residents of Hartford, treating them skillfully and with compassion, integrity and respect. He was the embodiment of the "country doctor," treating his patients first and foremost as individuals, not as the ailments they presented to him. Patients and colleagues alike fondly recall his acts of charity and kindness.

When he infrequently hung up his stethoscope, Dr. Del vacationed with Lorna, traveled every summer to the Canadian wilderness on a fishing trip with his buddies, gardened, cared for a series of "well-disciplined" dogs, played golf and tennis, and extended a fiercely competitive nature even to card games.

He was a devoted member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Along with other members, he built a new sanctuary for the Hartford church in 1969, and later moved his membership to Paw Paw when he and Lorna moved to Heritage Glenn golf course.

He is survived by his wife, Lorna; a sister, Anna (MD); six children: Del Jr. of California; Andy of Washington, Bob of California, Andy of Washington, Kirk of Washington, Sally of Washington and Jennifer of Michigan; two stepchildren, Jason of California and Leslie of Tennessee; 14 grandchildren; and 3 1/2 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by six siblings.

In lieu of flowers, donations will be gratefully accepted to the A.L. Stagg M.D. Medical Educational Fund, c/o Hartford Foundation for Quality Education, established in Dr. Del's honor. Memorial condolences for the family may be sent online to http://www.calvin-leonardfh.com.