To Cecil Summers, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Cecil, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Cecil really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.
Cecil was born on August 15, 1934 at home in Caryville, Tennessee. His parents were Harvey Everett Summers and Georgia Maye Grant. Cecil was raised in Clinton, Tennessee. Even as a child, Cecil had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.
Always a good playmate, Cecil was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Cecil managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Cecil was raised with four siblings. He had three brothers, Carl, Clifford, and Claude, and one sister, Linda.
All of Cecil's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Cecil experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. As a child, he took part in baseball and was also a 4-H member. Because he lived on a farm, he made up his own games and made his own toys. For example, Cecil would make a baseball bat out of a dogwood tree. He also liked to spend a lot of time at church and sang in the church with his family.
Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Cecil was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Cecil simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. Cecil attended Clinton High School in Clinton, Tennessee. It could be said that for Cecil, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience, since experience was Cecil's best teacher. He often played hookie in school so that he could run a movie projector in town. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was history.
Cecil never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Cecil to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Cecil delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Cecil was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Cecil utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Burll and Earl Patterson. Later in life, he became friends with Bob Hulligan, Don Smith, and the Arizona Gang. Cecil loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.
The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Cecil very easy to approach. On November 16, 1954 Cecil exchanged wedding vows with Michiko Shiraishi in Fukuoka, Japan while he was stationed there as part of his service in the Navy. He tried hard not to impose on his spouse. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.
Perhaps the reason Cecil related so well to children was the fact that he never really completely grew up himself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own children. Cecil was blessed with three children. He had one son, Wayne, and two daughters, Donna and Deborah. They were also blessed with ten grandchildren, Krystal, Nicholas, Tiffany, Jason, Wayne Jr., Jordan, Kenny, Brandon, Chris, and Kayla, and three great grandchildren, Noah, Luke, and Mila. Cecil had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of his attention was directed. Cecil's compassionate side prevented him from being a strict disciplinarian, and he could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. He could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Cecil had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.
At work, as in life, Cecil was a real “people person. ” he had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Cecil liked to see himself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Cecil was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Cecil's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around him to see Cecil as an excellent problem solver. His primary occupation was an electrical contractor. He was the owner of Summers and Sons Electric, Inc.
Cecil was a U.S. Navy veteran. He was stationed in Japan and Korea. Cecil was a Seaman in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955.
Cecil enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “outdoors” type, Cecil liked to explore the world around him. His favorite pursuits were fishing and traveling, and he also took up golf later in life. Cecil was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.
Cecil felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Cecil loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Cecil relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Cecil never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Recreational sports included golf. Cecil was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football and baseball.
Cecil had an endless appetite for new and different activities. He was always ready to join in the fun and add his flair and energy to an organization. Because of his personality, his humor, and his ability to get along with everyone, Cecil's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which he belonged. Throughout his later years, Cecil was an active member of the Electrical Maintenance Engineer's Association (EMEA) and the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Inc.
Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Cecil recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a member of Clinch River Baptist Church for 62 years. During that time, he was a part of church youth groups and his family sang for the church.
Living life in the fast lane suited Cecil just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included China and Russia.
Cecil believed that you had to experience life, and his life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 1986, Cecil took it in stride as one more way to have fun. His new life involved relocating to Pollock Pines, California and Surprise, Arizona. With his boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Cecil remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, he found new pleasure in traveling around the world with his wife and friends. He also took up golf and fishing, and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Even in retirement, Cecil continued to stay in touch with his old friends and, since he'd never met a stranger, he made plenty of new acquaintances as well.
Cecil passed away on April 30, 2010 at San Ramon Regional Medical Center in San Ramon, California. Cecil fought a brave battle against cancer. He is survived by his wife Michiko, children Donna, Wayne, and Deborah, grandchildren Krystal, Nicholas, Tiffany, Jason, Wayne Jr., Jordan, Kenny, Brandon, Chris, and Kayla, great grandchildren, Noah, Luke, and Mila, brothers Clifford and Claude, sister, Linda, and his sister-in-law Hiroko Wilson. A memorial service was held in the Chapel of Roses at Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose, California. Cecil was laid to rest in the care of his family.
Cecil brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Cecil Summers lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.
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