Howell Lloyd (Hal) Sumner, 92, passed away Tuesday morning, December 3, shortly after being admitted to the The Villages Hospital in The Villages, Florida.He was attended by his long time partner of 23 years, Nancy King.
Born at home on Ridge Street in Alton, Illinois on July 17, 1927, the son of Elizabeth (Thomas) Sumner and Lloyd Sumner.
He is survived by a sister, Dottie and her husband Don Koppenhaver of Henderson, N.V., his life partner, Nancy King of The Villages, Fl, daughter Sue & husband Denny Dorris of Midland, Texas, Nancy Sumner of Wood River, Il, Julie & husband Bob Garibaldi of Glenview, Ill., Mary Elliott of East Alton, Ill, Jim Sumner of E. Alton, Ill., Grandchildren Mick and Jesse Garibaldi, Lindsay Elliott, Andria (Elliott) McGuiggn, Haley (Fiegenbaum) Fisher and 6 great grandchildren.
Hal was preceded in death by his parents, first wife and mother of their 7 children, Rita (Mick) Rielley Sumner, daughters Debby and Cathy Sumner, Hal’s second wife Beverly Lynch Sumner, his brother Dwight Sumner and his son David, also a special Grandson Adam Fiegenbaum.
Hal served proudly in the U.S.Army during WW ll and as a Sgt. in the U.S. Marine Corp. 2nd Div. during the Korean war.
He was a former member of the American Society of Lubrication Engineers, St. Louis , Wood River Kiwanis, Wood River American Legion, Alton Elks Lodge, Alton Antique Auto Club, National Hot Rod Association, Alton Motor Boat Club. He was also an active member of the Villages American Legion, Post #347, the largest Post in the world.
Mr. Sumner was an industrial & marine lubrication sales engineer for Sinclair Oil & Metal Lubricants Co. He became a partner in Lowe & Co. St. Louis and then founded his own manufacturing firm Sumner Oil Industries, St. Louis, Mo in 1976. Many of Boeing airliners landing gears were machined with his cutting oil fluids.
After selling his company in 1988 he satisfied a childhood passion by becoming a long distance driver of the big rigs for Yellow Freight. He retired in 1992.
After the death of his 2nd wife Bev Lynch Sumner, he partnered with Nancy King of Alton to rehab three older homes in the Christen Hill area. She survives Hal and has been his special life partner since 1996.
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