William Cumming

William Cumming was born on February 14, 1935 in Suncheon, Korea to Dr. Daniel James Cumming and Anne Shannon Preston Cumming. He was the eldest of 6 children and is preceded in death by both his parents and two of his sisters, Shannon McCormick and Margaret Linton. He is survived by his sister Sarah Stokes (Stokie) Mitchell and brothers Bob and Fairman Cumming. He was married for 56 years to his beautiful, red-headed, wife, Janice. Together they had four children: Lisa (Randy) Young of Bellevue, TN; Dr. Preston Cumming of Boulder, CO; Daniel (Allison) Cumming of Murfreesboro, TN; and Mary Kim (Matthew) Harp of Bentonville, AR. William and Janice shared 8 wonderful grandchildren (Rylee, Emma, Elle, Landon, Ronin, Liam, Ophelia, and Wyatt), all of whom loved their Poppy very much.

William (not Will, or Bill, or Willy) lived a life dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. He graduated a year early from high school and immediately enrolled at Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville. After graduating in 1956, he joined the Navy because he thought it was the right thing to do and because he liked the idea of riding on a boat. William never did anything in too “regular” of a way though, and he was recruited immediately to supervise other enlistees. He then spent time working at the lab in Great Lakes, Illinois, where he wrestled sheep to draw their blood for medical testing. Between his one year of active duty (he would spend 50 more years in the Naval Reserves) and taking a permanent position back home in Nashville, William followed his curiosity to various teaching positions: Biology at Belmont University, high school in North Carolina, and Troy State in Alabama (where he apparently hosted elaborate dinner parties). While working a night job in the machine room at National Life Insurance, he met his future wife, Janice. The two would marry on Thanksgiving Day in 1969 and immediately start their family (Merry Christmas, 1970, it’s Lisa!) Over the next ten years, William and Janice continued to grow their family, sometimes faster than they planned (Preston, ‘76 and Daniel, ‘77). By the time their last daughter was born (Mary Kim makes four), William had established himself as a respected professor and colleague at Tennessee State University. Students fought to get into his Anatomy and Physiology classes, perhaps to hear the stories of his children’s births, which he loved to retell. Away from TSU, he stayed busy all the time. He took care of the household (there was always something to be repaired or improved), was an active member of Glen Leven Presbyterian Church (that man had a beautiful voice), delivered newspapers (even on Christmas morning), and documented the life of his kids through pictures. You never knew when you would be caught by his camera, or why he had chosen that exact time to take a photo. In retirement (it took two or three tries to make it stick), William developed a love of reading. “What are you reading, Daddy?” could elicit an hour-long recap of books ranging from his favorites, Bill Bryson and Oliver Sacks, to histories of the English language, deep dives into medical marvels, or stories of survival from North Korea. He was infinitely curious, a trait that he passed on to his children and grandchildren. He could answer almost any question after ruminating on it for a few minutes. You could see the wheels turning as he recalled years of study and experiences so that he could “tell you a story.” William was a man who loved “collecting,” items, experiences, and knowledge, and it made him one of the most interesting people you could ever meet. He passed away on January 26, 2026, a few weeks shy of his 91st birthday. He was at home, in a house he lived in for over 70 years, eyes closed, probably reciting the digits of pi in that beautiful brain of his.

Services will be held at noon on February 3 at Glen Leven Presbyterian Church, with visitation beginning at 10. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to some of William and Janice’s favorite organizations: Glen Leven Presbyterian Church, National Public Radio, and Alive Hospice.