Some Sad News From Sumner

Some of you may have wondered why Jim Sumner didn't write up the Georgia Tech story. We asked Scott Rich to do it and he did a great job filling in for Jim, who, we mentioned, was away on family business.

It wasn’t our place to say more but Jim’s father was near the end of his life and he went to spend time with his dad, his mother and his brother.

His father passed away Sunday. Since Jim posted the following on Facebook, we don’t think he’ll mind if we post it here as well. It’s a lovely summation of a live well-lived from a son who was obviously proud of his father and who also obviously learned many valuable life lessons from him that he treasures.

If you’d like to send condolences, we’d ask you to head over to the boards and post there. We’re sure he’ll see your comments and we hope they give him a boost.

My father, Ernest Sumner, died earlier today at the age of 93. He passed in a Hospice in Ormond Beach, Florida, after years of declining health. My father was born in 1927, the year Lindbergh flew the Atlantic, Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs and the Jazz Singer was the first talkie. He grew up in Depression era rural Georgia, dropped out of school to join the Army and retired a quarter-century later as a sergeant first class. He helped raise two functional sons, stayed happily married to the love of his life for over seven decades and knew more about cars than anyone I ever met. And he taught me to root for the Yankees. May he finally be at peace.