Woodlawn Veteran: William A. Stubbs
W.A. Stubbs Marker
(Photo by Roberto Fernandez, III)
Photo Curtesy: The National Archives and Records Administration.
By Ockeem Levy
William Alfred Stubbs was born Oct. 27, 1935 on Cat Island, Orange Creek, Bahamas, where he lived until he was 18. When he turned 19, he chose to move to the United States. Little is known about William’s arrival in the United States, but he did eventually settle in Miami, Fla., which was the home to a vibrant Bahamian community. On Jan. 17, 1956 in Miami, Florida William Alfred Stubbs was naturalized as a citizen of the United States. At that time he was described as being 5’8″ and 130 pounds. After obtaining his citizenship, William joined the United States Navy and served on the USS Nimble and the USS Ranger. He served on the USS Nimble for 10 months, and in November 1957, William was transferred to the USS Ranger, where he served until Sept. 16, 1959. Aside from the limited information gathered from the United States National Archives documents, little else is known about William Alfred Stubbs. William died in 1976 and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale. His headstone at Woodlawn notes that he was a Seaman in the U. S. Navy.
