Ed Summers

By Staff
May 27, 2008
Funeral for Ed Summers, 86, of Hartselle will be Friday, May 30, at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Robert Sparkman and Harold Thompson officiating.
Burial will be in Hartselle City Cemetery.
Visitation will be Thursday, May 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Friday, May 30, from 12 to 1 p.m.
Mr. Summers died Tuesday, May 27, 2008, at Sunbridge Health and Rehab in Tuscumbia. He was born March 23, 1922, in Morgan County to Edd Summers and Bess Brindley Summers. He graduated from Morgan County High School (now Hartselle High) where he excelled academically and was involved in sports. With World War II in progress, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps thus displaying at an early age patriotism for his country. His aptitude, capability and ability were quickly recognized by the military resulting in his selection to become an aircraft mechanics instructor for three years. At the end of that time, he became a navigator on a B-24 Liberator bomber where he served until the end of the war.
At war’s end he returned to Hartselle and along with his brother, Doug, constructed and opened a new restaurant “The Hollywood,” which was located where the office of local attorney Mike Sparkman now stands. The Hollywood was “the place” to be seen in Hartselle and catered to the local populace.
In 1942 he married the love of his life, Bevelye Wray Barclift, also of Hartselle, who was Ed’s faithful companion for the remainder of her life as the mother of their children and homemaker. She was his anchor and visibly supported his career and civic involvement.
After five successful years with the restaurant, he again answered the call to serve his country and became employed by the U.S. Army Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal. As a civil service employee he advanced in quality control while attending Athens State College where he received a degree in Business Administration in August 1952. He advanced in management assignments in the Missile Command and frequently traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby for appropriations in support of missile programs developed at Redstone.
The Hartselle community suffered no loss of his involvement during his employment at Redstone. He was very instrumental in developing Little League Baseball and spearheaded efforts to build the first ball field. He was very active in Boy and Girl Scouts, the Chamber of Commerce (he was the last surviving charter member), Civitan, Hartselle Avenue of Flags, athletic booster club, band boosters and the local American Legion where he repeatedly served as post commander.
Along the way, he penned more than 600 “Letters to the Editor” of local newspapers. The letters, always grammatically well written, reflected his desire to constructively improve the community. They were written with the deep understanding that government functions “for the people.” Many of the letters reflected his scholarly knowledge of the Bible.
In all endeavors, Ed’s foundation was his Christian belief, instilled in childhood and manifested in adulthood. He has been respected and admired for his Christian faith and commitment throughout his life. For decades he taught Sunday school at First Methodist Church. He dedicated his life to God, his country, his community and his family.
He is survived by two sons, Douglas Summers of Florence and Ronnie Summers of Brentwood, Tenn.; a daughter, Sally O’Bannon and husband Stewart of Florence; five grandchildren, Scott Summers, Shannon Crabb, Molly Riseling, Beth O’Bannon and Sean O’Bannon; and five great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be John Paul Johnson, Jack Betterton, J. P. Cain, Frank Parker, David Burleson, Bill Camp, Bob Francis and Kenneth Tankersley.