John H. “Jack” Summer, 87, of Atlanta, Georgia died in his home on Sunday, April 26, 2009 following a long illness. Born August 21, 1921 in Newberry, South Carolina, Jack was the son of Elbert Hugh Summer and Vera Lucille Summer. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 55 years, Anne A. Summer; his brothers, Hugh and Robert Summer; his sister, Frances Hanson, and a daughter, Cindy Summer Watson. Jack moved to Atlanta with his family while still in his teens. At the start of WWII Jack enlisted in the Army and attended jump school at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was a member of the 507th PIR of the 82nd Airborne and participated in the D-Day jump into Normandy on June 6, 1945. Upon his return from the war, he attended school at Georgia Tech, graduating with a degree in architecture. He started his own firm, John H. Summer and Associates, in 1961, and specialized in commercial architecture, designing such Atlanta buildings as WAGA-TV, the Ritz/Carlton Downtown and Pittypat’s Porch. He also designed many churches, hotels, office buildings and bank facilities. In 1990 he changed the name of the firm to Summer/Wise & Associates. Jack was an excellent architect of unquestionable integrity and modest pride. He was one of the first architects in the Atlanta area to convert from the old pencil drawings to the new computer design for planned development. He was an indisputable credit to his profession. Jack was chosen to be the architect for the 507th PIR of the 82nd Airborne memorial, which was unveiled by Jack and his fellow soldiers in Amfreville, France in 2002. Jack is survived by his daughter and her husband, Susan and Jim Ory; his grandson, Jonathan Ory; and several nieces and nephews. The family will receive visitors Wednesday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and a funeral service will be held Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at A.S. Turner and Sons in Decatur.
