Charles Summers

Former Palmer resident Charles “Chuck” Harold Summers, 63, passed away Oct. 10, 2007, from cancer. He would have celebrated his 64th birthday Nov. 23.

Summers was born the son of a sailor and as an adult became the captain of a tug boat. He was also known for being a jack of all trades. When he was on land he enjoyed his four-wheel drive vehicles as well as motorcycles, snowmachines, dune buggies and anything he could play behind the wheel of.

Summers met and married the love of his life, Kathleen, in 1970. They had a son, Kris, in 1971 and a daughter, Dawn, in 1972.

He worked and vacationed in parts of the world many may never have heard of. If he had an idea he ran with it and made it happen, and his wife and children never went without. Somehow in his travels he brought home items some to this day we are not sure what they are, his family said.

Every November he celebrated another wedding anniversary. That he lived to see his children grow up to have children of their own made his life complete. He was able to meet, hold and get to know all seven of his grandchildren individually.

He also had some very loyal friends who knew they were automatically considered family.

Summers’ family knew that any given moment in his career could find him at the helm of a boat anywhere from the Bering Sea to the Panama Canal. He was also a very strong man, and one could tell just by looking at him that if you started something, he most certainly would finish it. One of the wisest things my father instilled in his children was to not dish it out if you can’t take it.

Summers is survived by his beloved wife, Kathleen, of Port St. Lucie, Fla.; son Kris Summers of Hollywood, Fla.; daughter Dawn Rosario of Palmer; and seven grandchildren.

Summers’ favorite saying was, “It ain’t my first rodeo, and it won’t be my last.”