She was born the 4th of November 1920 in Houston to O.V. and Vina Knight Summers. She graduated from San Jacinto High School, 1938, where she received the school’s highest award, the R. J. Slagle Trophy for Most Representative Student. She was a lifetime member of the San Jacinto Alumni Association. She graduated from the University of Houston, 1942, where she was designated Highest Academic Scholar. Her appreciation for her alma mater involved continuing interest and participation in university programs. In 2001, she created The Rosemary Summers McBride Endowment for the Special Collections of the University of Houston Libraries, to which she contributed generously.
She was married 53 years to the love of her life, Estil Owen McBride, a chemical engineer. They married in 1942 and endured World War II together. Owen served as Captain of “B” Battery, 423rd Armored Field Artillery Battalion, Tenth Armored Division (the “Ghost Division”) in General George Patton’s Third Army. Through that experience, Rosemary and Owen formed close bonds with other military families, creating multigenerational lifetime friendships. They were remarkable for their many friendships, participation and leadership in church, community and service organizations, and love of extensive worldwide travel. They shared great respect and appreciation for their mutual Scottish heritage. They were a couple of deep Christian faith and prayer whose love embraced everyone they encountered.
Her mission and her ministry were always where she happened to be. She was active in her Presbyterian local church congregations and presbyteries, and on national committees. In the 1950’s she was one of the initial group of women ordained as Elders in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. She served as President of the Presbyterian Women’s Synodical of Texas, 1963-1966. She served fifteen years as Trustee of the Presbyterian Children’s Home in Texas, now known as the Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services. She was a long-time member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, most recently in Chapter E. She was a Bayou Bend Docent Sustainer, Charter Member of the Ima Hogg Ceramic Circle, and member of the Chautauqua Study Club of Houston. She was a member of the American Scottish Clan Societies MacLeod and MacDonald, the former Houston Heather and Thistle Society, and the Robert Burns Poetry Group. For 10 years she owned her own business as a personal property appraiser, and was a former member of the American Society of Appraisers. She had great intellectual curiosity, a passion for learning, and enjoyed reading and studying a wide range of subjects.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, brother and sister-in-law, Frederic Summers and Louise Summers, and sister and brother-in-law, Ruth Summers Struben and Frederik Struben. She is survived by her daughter, Rosemary McBride Sebastian and her partner, J. Thomas Oldham, niece Amanda Struben Hardick and husband Patrick Hardick, nephews Gordon Summers and David Summers, and their wives, and extended family. Her family represents seven generations of Texans and three generations of Houstonians.
The family would like to thank all the many people who have given her generous love, support and loyalty through the years. We wish to thank all the personnel at the Hallmark Retirement Community, where she lived for the past 19 years, for their attention and kindness to her. We give special appreciation and gratitude to the staff of the Hallmark Health Care unit for the competent and compassionate manner in which they cared for her during the last year of her life.
The memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Thursday, the 15th of May, at St. Philip Presbyterain Church, 4807 San Felipe St. in Houston, where The Rev. Dr. John W. Wurster and The Rev. Dr. Robert M. Poteet, are to officiate.
In lieu of customary remembrances, donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
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