Dr. Marion M. Sumner passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006.

He was born in 1926, in Independence, Kansas. Rod Sumner survived a hardscrabble childhood during the depression, often going without dinner if the men in the family didn't catch anything hunting or fishing that day. He excelled in school, to which he walked barefoot in three feet of snow, as he enjoyed telling his children repeatedly in later years. He graduated top in his class from Independence High School in 1944 and was able to go to Kansas University by earning a Summerfield Scholarship for four years, graduating with a BA in chemistry. He then graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, once again at the top of his class. It was there he met Dr. Joyce Lee Randolph, whom he married in 1950.

Both Rod and Joyce spent their residencies at the Cleveland Clinic from 1952 to 1957, and served as surgeons in the American USPHS in Point Barrow, Alaska, and the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, between 1954 and 1956, then moved to Hutchinson in 1957, to begin their medical practices. In those days Dr. Sumner was available to patients every day and night, often making house calls with his black medical bag. He loved his patients and they loved him for his exceptional knowledge and wicked humor.

Dr. Sumner was one of the original founders of the Hutchinson Clinic, an achievement of which he was very proud. He was also a diplomat of the American Board of Family Practice, a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice, and a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Internal Medicine, the American Medical Association, the Kansas Medical Society, and the American Diabetes Association.

Forced to retire for health reasons in the early 1970s, he continued to study medicine honed his investment skills, and fed every bird and squirrel in the neighborhood. He loved animals and adored children, particularly his four grandchildren, on whom he doted.

Survivors include: his wife, of the home; sons, Randy, California, and Steve, Wichita; a daughter, Ann Lewis and her husband Kevin, California; a brother, Ralph, Fredonia; a sister, Opal Blumer, Arizona; and four grandchildren, Ali, Parker, Callahan and Jake Lewis.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a grandchild, Nicholas Lewis. A notorious prankster, a stubborn curmudgeon, a bundle of contradictions, and an unfathomable mystery, Rod Sumner was a complicated and mercurial soul, and one who deserves the highest respect. A self-proclaimed Party Vegetable, Rod is somewhere, creating havoc and making folks laugh at his terrible jokes, which, believe it or not, we wish we could hear just once more.

Private family graveside services will be held in Penwell-Gabel Cemetery and Mausoleum. A service to celebrate Rod's life will be held the week following the Thanksgiving holiday. The time, date, and location of the service will be published next week. Friends may sign the register at Elliott Mortuary, Hutchinson.

In lieu of flowers, Rod would be pleased if you would like to donate in his memory to the Dillon Nature Center, Hutchinson Community College, the First Presbyterian Church, Hospice House, or the animal assistance charity of your choice, all in care of the funeral home.

Personal condolences may be sent to www.elliottmortuary.com.