- Date Of Birth: February 23, 1917
- Date Of Death: March 3, 2015
- State: Georgia
Clarence D. Sumner’s favorite question was “what’s next?” Well on the evening of March 3, 2015 after having his evening meal, that answer was revealed to him as he gently slipped into heaven to be rejoined with his beloved wife Camilla and the God he served faithfully. Clarence was born on February 23, 1917 in Tifton, Georgia.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by all of his siblings. In 2005 he lost his dear wife Camilla. In 1936, he continued his education and became a barber. His first job was in a shop in downtown Newnan. It was during this time that he got to know his future wife Camilla Hutchens. They were married July 28, 1943 and at the time of her death had celebrated 62 years together. Shortly after they were married, he went into the service during World War II. Although he was not one to talk about that period of his life, he served proudly and was in the 234th Engineers Company A and served in Normandy, Rhineland and other places in Central Europe.
He was a part of the second wave of those men who were dispatched to Normandy. When asked by the military what he wanted to do in the service, he told them he was a barber. So he plied that trade at 35 cents per head of hair – more than he had made stateside. Upon returning from the war, he worked for R. D. Cole. He was destined to be a barber, though. He worked at Chapman’s, owned his own shop for a while, and eventually retired working at Alexander’s. Even after retirement, he would go to local nursing homes to share his skills and cut his own family members hair until 2013.
Clarence was a simple man who loved working the soil in his annual garden with his friends and family enjoying that bounty. Fishing was a great pastime for him, especially if there was a grandchild involved. Trips to California to visit family were fun, but nothing was as comfortable as the home he helped build in 1947 and where he and Camilla raised their family. He was a charter member of Unity Baptist Church.
He is survived by his daughter Linda Martin and her husband Gary; his son Jimmy Sumner and his wife Kathi. He was the proud grandfather to Kevin Sumner, Brian Keith Sumner, David Martin and his wife Jamie; Lisa Taylor and her husband Ian. He was great grandfather to Allyson Martin, Taylor Martin, Maisie Camilla Taylor and Flannon Daniel Taylor.
