William Cummings

Bill was born on March 12, 1937, in Listowel, Ontario, Canada, under unique circumstances. His father had traveled to Canada to visit family after several years, and although his mother was 8.5 months pregnant at the time, they made the trip together. As fate would have it, she went into labor while there, and Bill was born. The only reason he was allowed to return to the United States as a Canadian-born infant was because his mother was breastfeeding him at the time.

As he grew up, Bill showed a strong academic drive, graduating high school as Salutatorian. He then moved to Birmingham to attend a trade school focused on communications and electronic engineering. While studying, Bill was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as a Specialist 4 (SPEC4) Communications Engineer, installing public address systems on military posts.

One pivotal day during his service, Bill was summoned to the General’s office to fix a telephone issue. Not only did he successfully repair the phone, but he also restored the building’s intercom system, which had been nonfunctional for years. Impressed by his technical skill and initiative, the General made Bill his personal assistant and driver.

In 1963, Bill met Anita, a young woman working at the Blue & Grey Bar and Grill in Sayre, Alabama. It was love at first sight. After a few months of courtship, the couple married on April 26, 1964, and later moved to Clearwater, Florida. They welcomed two children: a daughter, Tina, born on January 13, 1964, and a son, Bill Jr., born on December 15, 1972.

Bill began a long and successful career with Picker International in Tampa, Florida, working as an X-ray serviceman responsible for maintaining medical imaging equipment in hospitals and doctors' offices. Over time, he was promoted to Area Manager and later District Supervisor and Salesman, all while continuing to serve his long-standing clients.

Throughout his career, Bill and his family lived in several cities across Florida—including Clearwater, Fort Myers, and Plant City—before making a major move to California. There, Bill continued to excel professionally, eventually retiring after 36 years of dedicated service. In retirement, he and Anita settled in Ashville, Alabama, where they lived a peaceful and fulfilling life together.