Thomas Paul Cummings

Tom was born on July 1st, 1938 in Franklin, Indiana to William and Mary Cummings. He graduated from Union Township High School, Franklin College, and Indiana University. Dr. Cummings started his career in education as a history teacher and basketball coach, serving in these roles at several Indiana high schools from 1960-1985. He was the Director of Secondary and Middle School Education for Greater Clark County Schools in Jeffersonville, Indiana before accepting the position of Assistant Superintendent for North Kansas City Schools. After serving in that role from 1985-1995, Tom assumed the role of Superintendent of NKC Schools in 1995, working there until retiring in 2009. During his retirement, Tom served on various boards and committees, played tennis, and fully embraced his role as “Grandpa”. He was a member of Fairview Christian Church.

During his nearly 50 years in education, Dr. Cummings – affectionately known as “TC” – exemplified the values of life-long learning, leadership, and success. He had an uncanny knack for remembering names and details about everyone he met. Prioritizing a welcoming, inclusive, innovative, collaborative environment, as well as valuing every member of the team, Dr. Cummings created a culture of success for North Kansas City Schools. Under his leadership, the district was able to pass the first bond and levy issue in 17 years, followed by overwhelming support for additional bonds and levies in 2001 and 2005. Dr. Cummings oversaw the creation of Partners in Education, the North Kansas City Schools Education Foundation, the Senior Tax Exchange Program, the Career & Technology Education Center, the Achievement Plus (A+) Program, site based initiative councils at all schools, the Northland Schools Alliance, and the Youth Friends mentoring program. In 2001, the district was named a “National Model for Professional Development” by the U.S. Department of Education. That recognition was followed in 2003 by an award from the Missouri Governor’s Council on Disability for Excellence on Universal Design. In 2007, the North Kansas City School District was the first district in Missouri to receive National Accreditation for all of its schools.

In 2005, Dr. Cummings was honored as the Missouri Superintendent of the Year. That was followed in 2006 by the “Look North” award from the Clay County Economic Development Council, and the “Jay Dillingham Lifetime Achievement” award in 2007 from Northland Neighborhoods, Inc. And in 2007, Dr. Cummings was honored as an “Outstanding Missourian” by the Missouri House of Representatives. During his superintendency, TC was named one of Kansas City’s Top 25 CEOs. He was also one of only 15 superintendents nationally tapped to attend the Microsoft Superintendents’ Roundtable at the University of Oxford in England. North Kansas City Schools was one of the 6 pilot districts for Youth Friends. A decade after its inception, the now award winning youth mentorship program named their “School-Based Mentoring Achievement and Advancement Award” after Dr. Cummings, and he was the first recipient.

Dr. Cummings was a member and past president of the National Federation of Urban-Suburban School Districts and the Greater Kansas City School Administrators Association. He was a member of the Missouri Association of School Administrators, the American Association of School Administrators, and the National School Board Association, as well as the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce, the KCI/Northland Chamber of Commerce, the Clay County Economic Development Council, the Northland United Way, and the Heartland of America United Way. He served on the board of directors for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Tom was a member and past president of the Gladstone Rotary Club. He also served on numerous committees: the Education Commissioner’s Advisory Council, the Kansas City Star’s Education Advisory Committee, the UMKC Dean of Education Advisory Committee, and the Mayor’s Task Force on Race Relations.

Tom was something of a renaissance man. He loved tennis and basketball. He was an avid KC Chiefs and Royals fan, having season tickets for years. He was also a huge supporter of the arts, having season tickets with the KC Rep, the KC Symphony, and the William Jewell series. Tom enjoyed traveling. He loved reading books: histories, biographies, mysteries, and thrillers. You could often find him playing a game of solitaire or a crossword puzzle – in pen. He loved music, just listening to music or singing and dancing along. He was generous with his time, money, talent, and spirit. Most of all, Tom prioritized relationships. He valued his relationships with friends, colleagues, students, people at church or in the community, and – most importantly – his family. He worked hard at maintaining all of those important connections. Tom loved and was so proud of his wife and kids and, most especially, his grandkids.

“… To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” - Unk

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Joe and Jim, and his niece Janice Cummings Bay.

Left to cherish his memory is Tom’s wife of nearly 45 years, Margaret Jones Stearns Cummings, as well as his six children: Ike Stearns (Kim Shannon), Sarah Gorman (Scott), Mark Cummings (Stephanie Densford-Bower), Karen Howard (Dave), Ben Cummings (Cheryl), and Daniel Cummings (Hattie). Tom is also survived by 19 grandchildren: Karli Waller (Richard), Isaac Stearns (Bailey Kretsinger), Louis Stearns (Trixx Maurie), Nicholas Gorman (Maddie), Nathan Gorman (Mika), Natalie Gorman (Nic Bair), Abbey & Aaron Cummings, Ashley Cummings (Anthony Saunders), Cheyanne Cummings (Uemit), Victoria Thompson (Darian), Myles, Grant, Isabella & Corbyn Howard, Makayla & Caleb Cummings, and Theodora & Ellis Cummings, as well as eight great-grandchildren. Also surviving are Tom’s siblings Mary Cummings, Bill Cummings (Susan), Carol Blackwell, and Julie Kemp, and eleven nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to extend its deepest gratitude to Tom’s primary care physician, Dr. Jeffrey Berry (Meritas Gashland), for his steadfast and compassionate care during the past several years. Also, the family will be forever grateful to the entire team at NorthCare Hospice House, especially Tom’s nurse Ashley Reynolds Rasmussen, for the profoundly respectful, tender, and compassionate care given to Tom in his last days.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Dr. Tom Cummings can be made to the Cummings Family Fund at the North Kansas City Schools Education Foundation. The fund supports scholarships for orchestra students, as well as the annual NKCSD Orchestra Summit, fostering intensive learning experiences for aspiring musicians. To make a gift by mail, make checks payable to North Kansas City Education Foundation, noting “Cummings Family Fund” in the memo line. Mail to: 2000 NE 46th Street – Kansas City, MO 64116. To donate online, visit https://nkcschoolsfoundation.org/support/online-donation and select “Cummings Family Fund” from the menu. Gifts in Tom’s memory can also be made to Kansas City Hospice/NorthCare Hospice House online: https://kchospice.org/donate .

A Celebration of Life will be held 2PM Saturday February 15th, 2025 at the Staley High School Performing Arts Center. (2800 NE Shoal Creek Parkway – Kansas City, MO 64156) Family will receive guests for one hour prior to the service.