Thu, Jul 17, 2025 at 04:04 PM

More Than Medicine: Dr. Summers W. Taylor III

As part of our More Than Medicine series, Marshall Medical Centers is proud to share the passions and personal stories of the physicians who care for our community—because their lives beyond the scrubs and white coats are just as inspiring as the work they do in them.

When you think of Dr. Summers W. Taylor III, you probably think of skilled care, calm confidence and decades of experience in women’s health. But outside the exam room, you’re just as likely to find him building an intricate model tank, chasing golden retrievers through the yard or traveling with a family of 40 on a cruise.

A Builder at Heart

Dr. Taylor has a love of building that started when he was barely out of toddlerhood.

“I’ve been building plastic military tank models since I was about three or four years old,” he says. “It started with my father.”

Today, that childhood passion is still going strong.

“I’m currently working on three or four models I plan to take to a model show,” he says. “It’s something that really helps me relax and recharge.”

Inside the breakroom of his practice sits a large tank he is currently putting together for his grandsons that he works on during his lunch break.

That creative streak doesn’t stop at tanks.

“I also love to build and make furniture,” he adds. “My dad and my uncle were both engineers. My father worked at NASA back in the ’60s. He built three sailboats in our basement. We used to make radio-controlled airplanes together.”

His father, one of the engineers who helped design and test the Saturn V rocket and worked on the Space Shuttle program, passed down not just technical skill, but a mindset: build, tinker, learn.

Military Roots and Meaningful Choices

Before coming to Marshall Medical Centers, Dr. Taylor served as an OB-GYN in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Major. He was stationed in Germany for a portion of his service and considered a long-term military career.

“I was really torn,” he shares. “If I stayed 20 years or more, I would’ve been board certified and could’ve had a different kind of career path. A general and three colonels tried to convince me to stay and go the administrative route. They said I knew more about military history than they learned at West Point!”

Though he ultimately chose to transition to civilian practice, his love for the military—especially its history—remains.

“I love to read military history,” he says. “If I wasn’t practicing medicine, I probably would’ve stayed in the Army.”

Dogs, Hunting and Family Cruises

Outside of work, Dr. Taylor and his wife have two lively golden retrievers, just over a year old—and they’re about to welcome a third.

“We play with them a lot,” he says. “They keep us busy!”

He’s also a lifelong hunter, with a special love for the wide-open spaces of Colorado and Wyoming.

“Hunting is a big part of my life,” he says simply.

Travel is another passion, especially with family.

“My wife had never flown, wouldn’t ride elevators and definitely wouldn’t get on a boat if she couldn’t see land,” he laughs. “But a couple of years ago, my cousin and his wife talked her into going on a cruise. In a 24-hour period, she got on a plane, rode an elevator and set sail where she couldn’t see land—and she loved it.”

Now, cruising is a family tradition.

“We go on at least one a year,” he says. “There’s usually 30 to 45 of us that go. Our last cruise was to Alaska, and the landscape and mountains were something you just don’t see in Boaz, Alabama.”

Rooted in Purpose

Dr. Taylor is married with three children and a stepson, and he’s a proud grandfather to two grandsons and a granddaughter.

One of the biggest life lessons he’s learned outside of medicine?

“In life, it’s important to be knowledgeable, but if you’ve got a goal, you’ve got to really focus and work toward it. It’s not necessarily how smart you are—it’s how hard you’re willing to work.”

And that lesson is clearly one he lives by—whether he's performing a delivery, perfecting a model tank or guiding a family adventure.

At Marshall Medical Centers, we believe it’s the passions and stories outside the clinic that make our physicians who they truly are. More Than Medicine is our way of celebrating that—and honoring the people behind the care.