Thomas Duane Summers

Thomas D. Summers, age 88, passed away Friday, March 30, 2024, at St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena Campus in Henderson, Nevada.  Tom was born in Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania on October 28, 1935, to Cletus M. and Nellie L. (Bowser) Summers.  Tom was married to Norma Theriault (Shirley) on June 26, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tom was raised in Altoona, Pennsylvania  where he played trumpet in junior high and was named first chair trumpet in the Altoona marching band throughout his high school years.  Tom graduated high school in 1953 enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in November that same year.  Tom trained for jet armament systems, sighting systems and served as a jet radar sighting systems mechanic while serving in South Korea, a life changing experience that led him to become an electrical engineer.

Tom was honorably discharged in August 1957, and moved with his first wife to Sacramento, California where they had two children.  He graduated Sacramento State College in 1964 with a B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering and worked for McDonnell-Douglas in Sacramento, transferring to the Aerospace Division in Huntington Beach, California from 1964 until 1975.  Tom then became a Certified Control Systems Engineer and went to work for Fluor Corporation in Irvine, California from 1975 until 1986 during which he worked on multi-million-dollar projects in Alaska,  South Africa, and Australia.  Tom returned to McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing in 1986, where he retired in March 1993.  

Tom and his wife Norma moved to Fallbrook, California in May 1993 where they spent many of their retirement years actively involved with the Pala Mesa Golf Course. Tom had discovered his passion for golf during his working years and enjoyed the game across the U.S. until the end of his life.  Tom was also  passionate about stock and bond investing and enjoyed sharing his financial knowledge with others. Tom and Norma moved to Henderson, Nevada in 2022 settling near son Craig (Kimberly).

Tom was the beloved husband of Norma, beloved father of Karen Depraect (Antonio) and Craig (Kimberly), beloved grandfather of Amber Fields, Ashley Pierce (Aaron) and Travis Fields, beloved great-grandfather of Amberlynn and Ricardo Castro, beloved brother of Gary (Karen), and beloved nephew of Margaret Robinson. Tom was preceded in death by his parents and an infant brother.

The interment will be at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada.

In lieu of Flowers, please consider donating to the American Heart Association in memory of Tom Summers https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give?form=FUNQCSERKQD