Neel Summers

Neel Summers passed away at home on February 9, 2015, in Wooster, Ohio. He was eighty-four years old. Neel is survived by his wife, Elsie Summers, to whom he was happily married for almost fifty years as their golden wedding anniversary was set to take place later this year. He and Elsie have two sons: Greg, who lives presently in Wisconsin with his wife and two children; and Brian and his loving family who live in Ohio. Neel was born in Wallback, Clay County, West Virginia, the son of William Summers and Lula James. He grew up in West Virginia during the 1930s and 1940s and was always intensely proud of his upbringing, despite the relative hardships of the era. Neel served honorably in the United States Army from 1952 until 1954 and spent the vast majority of his service stationed in West Germany. During the course of this service to his country, Neel was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Moreover, in recognition of Neel’s time in the military, he was very recently privileged to participate with many of his fellow veterans in an Honor Flight to visit the various war memorials in Washington, D.C. in June 2014. Following his military service, Neel earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Glenville State College in 1957, a Master of Arts in English from Marshall University in 1960, and a Master of Education degree from Miami (Ohio) University in 1969. After finishing his educational endeavors, Neel lived for most of his adult life in a home he built with his family in the picturesque rolling countryside of Holmes County before moving to Wayne County in his later years. Neel devoted the whole of his professional career to the education of children with a special emphasis on teaching those children about the outdoors and the conservation of the natural environment that he so passionately loved. He began his career as a fifth grade teacher at Holmesville Elementary School in 1957. By 1972, he was named the principal of Holmesville Elementary, and he would continue in that cherished role until his retirement in 1997. Neel was a consummate educator. He cared deeply about each one of his students, and he especially loved helping them learn. He was beloved by the many professional colleagues with whom he worked over the years and respected by the local community he served. Among Neel’s proudest achievements was the lasting work he did in the field of outdoor education. His great passion in this area was birds, and he was a font of knowledge regarding their varieties, songs, and nesting habits. An “environmentalist” long before the term became commonplace, Neel served as the co-director of the Outdoor Education program for sixth graders in the Southeast Local School District. The week-long camp became a time-honored tradition within the school district, an annual experience held every spring at nearby Camp Wanake that touched the lives of generations of sixth grade students who participated through the years. In addition, Neel helped to build a land laboratory on the grounds of Holmesville Elementary that remains in use to this day and which was renamed as the “Neel Summers Land Lab” in his honor upon his retirement as the school principal. In his personal time, Neel was also a long-time volunteer for The Wilderness Center in Wilmot, Ohio and the Friends of Wooster Memorial Park in Wooster, Ohio, and he taught nature classes for many years through the Wayne County Enrichment Academy. Neel had three siblings: Rader (predeceased), Curwood (predeceased), and Lewis, who still lives in North Carolina. The family would like to extend a heartfelt expression of gratitude to the nurses, aides, and volunteers of LifeCare Hospice in Wooster, Ohio for their wonderful care and support. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that anyone wishing to do so may make a memorial donation in Neel’s memory to The Wilderness Center, 9877 Alabama Ave. SW. Wilmot, Ohio 44689 or to the Friends of Wooster Memorial Park, P.O. Box 1776, Wooster, Ohio 44691. A celebration of life service celebrating Neel’s life will be held on Saturday, 2:00 p.m. at the Holmesville Elementary School, (8141 E. Jackson St., Holmesville, Ohio 44633) with Pastor Christy Bowers officiating. The family will greet friends a half-hour (1:30 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.) prior to services. On-Line condolences to: www.custerglenn.com where interested individuals may also share a memory.

Neel Summers

November 26, 1930 - February 9, 2015