Obituary for Jonathan W. Sumner

Jonathan W. Sumner, 71, of Leesburg, FL passed away on July 10, 2020 after a brief battle with cancer. Jon was born and raised in Hurricane, West Virginia. He was an alumni of Hurricane High School, WV State College and Marshall University. He earned a Masters’ Degree in Education from Marshall. Prior to going to college he served in the United States Navy from 1967- 1971. He maintained lifelong friendships with his brothers in VA-36 and VA-15.

Upon returning home from Vietnam, he pursued his lifelong dream of being a teacher and a football coach. He spent 32 years teaching coaching at Putnam County Schools. The majority of that time was spent teaching drivers education at Winfield High School. He coached football, basketball, golf, tennis, cross country and track & field during his tenure. Many of the teams and athletes he coached achieved great success, including helping coach his alma mater to their first football playoff game victory in school history.
Coach as his students would call him always had a smile on his face, a joke to tell and a song in his heart. He had a love of music that he would share with anyone that would listen. He often said he was blessed with more families than he deserved, the family he was born into, his family of friends that he grew up with, his Navy family, his teaching family, his coaching family, his golfing family, if you were his friend, you were his family.

Jon was preceded in death by his father Fred Sumner, his mother Mary Virginia Sumner, his sister Dorothy (Sumner) Abbott, his brother Gary Sumner, his father-in-law Ray Stover, brother-in-law Billy Stover and his brother-in-law Phil Johnson.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years Debra Sumner, his son Adam Sumner, his daughter-in-law Christie Sumner, his sister Carol (Sumner) Billups, his brother Don Sumner, his sister Rosie (Sumner) Johnson, his sister-in-law Patsy (Stover) Rummell, his brother-in-law Roger Stover and his brother-in-law David Stover and numerous nieces and nephews.

There will be no service at this time. In lieu of flowers he requested that those that wish to honor him do so by making a donation to your local animal shelter or to a veteran’s related charity of your choice.