William J. "Sonny" Sumner

William J. "Sonny" Sumner
William J. "Sonny" Sumner passed away November 13, 2010 at the age of 80.
Sonny was born and raised in the Santa Maria Valley. He attended local schools. He started playing local sports as a teenager for a Guadalupe Football and baseball team. His passion for baseball led him to the Santa Maria Indians where he had a 26 year career. He played many positions from left-field to catcher. At about 17, he started playing billiards in local pool halls that his grandma Molly tried to discourage with no success. At 17 he also tried to follow a few best friends in to the service, but was sent home when his real age was discovered.
On November 27, 1948 he married his high school sweetheart Thelma Simas. He worked for PG&E, General Telephone and retiring as a short line driver for CME Trucking Co.
Sonny had offers to go to some major league farm clubs, but with a young family growing it wasn't possible. Through all these years Sonny would get off work, get home, clean-up eat dinner with the family and off to go play ball, a bowling tournament or someone calling him to come down for a game of pool hoping this time they might win a game or two.
If it was hunting season he often put Thelma and the kids in the car and go off on an evening hunt up HWY 166 and the Las Padres Forrest.
Sonny found golf through these years to add as another sport to try. Through his years if he was challenged by someone to try a sport from tennis to a foot race his determination to win or beat them was so strong he never lost. Sonny in his 70s was challenged by a grandson who thought he was young strong could take his grandpa at arm-wrestling, he never asked grandpa for a match again.
Sonny won many bowling and golf tournaments. He was one of the first to bowl a 300 game at the Rancho Bowl where he went on to bowl two more 300 games one of which was on the same day he had a hole in one at the golf course earlier. That hole in one wasn't his first or last.
Sonny was the first west-side little league president. He could spot talent in a player and has encouraged some young athletes to get to the ball park "you're major league material!"
Sonny was a life-time member of the Santa Maria Elks Local 1538 as well as his Father.
He was inducted into the Santa Maria Hall of Fame and the Santa Maria Indians Hall of Fame. Very few would argue he was the greatest natural all around athlete in the Santa Maria Valley.
Even with his last 4 years of health issues, he stayed close to his love of golf by having a monthly tournament where the teams of (4) kept growing. He met monthly with his Santa Maria Indian teammates for lunch and spent most mornings at the donut shop with his crew of cronies telling "tall Tales."
Sonny loved and waited for visits with grandchildren and great grandchildren. Some of their first times playing catch were with "Poppy" or taking his cane and using it for a microphone and singing to him or as an exercise bar, anything to watch him laugh and entertain him.
He loved watching golf and the Dodgers and talking to friends on the phone. He could get mad at any one of them, but an hour later they were "a hell of a guy."
Everyone that knew Sonny knew…HE DID IT HIS WAY.
Sonny is survived by his wife Thelma Sumner of Santa Maria, Daughter Colleen Sumner (Steve Goodman) of Santa Maria, Sons Stanley Sumner, Stephen Sumner(Kristi ), William Sumner (Natalie) and Thomas Sumner (Joanie) all of Santa Maria, daughter-in-law Nancy Sumner Steele of Arroyo Grande, brother Donnie Oliveira of Santa Maria, Sister Rita Alexander of Paso Robles, Step-Brother Harry Goodchild of Garey, Step Father Sam Esparaza, 7 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nephews and nephews.
He is preceded in death by a son James A. Sumner in 1980, parents William Sumner and Rose B. Oliveira Esparaza, sisters Beverly Hornsby, Hilda Ruiz and Maxine Duran, step mother Barbara Goodchild Sumner, step brother Edward Goodchild and step father Edward Oliveira.
A Rosary and memorial service will be held Friday, November 19, 2010 at 7:00 pm in the Chapel of Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary. Private burial will be in the Santa Maria Cemetery at a later date.
Arrangements are under the direction of Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary, Crematory and Memory Gardens.

Dudley-Hoffman
Mortuary & Crematory
(805) 922-8463
www.dudleyhoffmanmortuary.com