Mr. Summers was a veteran of World War II, having enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the Signal Corps. Following basic training, he was responsible for training recruits, serving as a platoon leader and a drill instructor at Fort Crowder, MO. His over seas duties were in the Pacific theater where he was appointed one of 3 NCOs assigned to the personal staff of Brig. Gen. Powell, Commander of Signal Forces in the Pacific.

Following the war, Mr. Summers enrolled at Mississippi State University where he earned a B.S. degree in Agriculture and was awarded membership in Alpha Zeta honorary fraternity. He worked five years for the USDA in Meridian, where he met and married Ruth Brown. He was very active in church, civic, charitable, and professional organizations. He was a Boy Scout leader and was a Mason. He was President of the Meridian Junior Chamber of Commerce and a director of Meridian/Lauderdale County Chamber of Commerce.

In 1958, after working in sales for 2 years with Wayne Feeds in Searcy, Arkansas, he relocated his family to Brookhaven and began his career with Arbor Acres, an international poultry company specializing in poultry genetics and research, based in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He advanced to Vice- President, and Manager of Sales & Customer Service for the domestic division comprising the US and Canada. He was also used for special assignment to the International Division where he worked as a consultant in several countries of Europe and Asia. For a number of years, he served as instructor for management seminars at the University of Connecticut. He was the recipient of several industry awards both regional and national.

Mr. Summers was an active member of First Baptist Church in Brookhaven and taught a men’s Bible class for more than 60 years. He has served as Chairman of Deacons, as well as a member of numerous committees. He was a faithful witness to all who knew him.

In later years, he enjoyed recording historical descriptions of his WWII and life experiences, and contributed his knowledge of early Brookhaven to a book of the history of those years. He was a charter member and a director of the Brookhaven Historical Society and also served as a volunteer host at the Brookhaven Military Museum.

Mr. Summers died at the age of 96 on September 7, 2019