Jacqueline "Jackie" V. Summers

Jacqueline V. Summers, 92, passed away at Denver Hospice after a short illness. She was a Denver native, growing up in the Park Hill neighborhood, the youngest daughter of Howard and Mildred Vincent. Jackie graduated from East Denver High School in 1941 and then went to CSU, known as Colorado A&M at the time, obtaining her degree in Home Economics and became a Registered Dietician. She had an internship at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, TN and worked in Oak Ridge, helping to set up the local transit system. Her mother, Mildred and sister, Jeanne also worked there on the Manhattan Project.

Jackie met her future husband at a servicemen's center dance in downtown Denver during WWII. They were married after the war in Little Silver, NJ and returned to Denver, where both were employed at Presbyterian Hospital, working for Dr. Alexis Lubchenco in the laboratory, Jackie as his secretary for 23 years and Ben as histology technician and medical photographer. In 1980 they moved to Santa Barbara, CA where Jackie worked as Director of Medical Staff Services at Cottage Hospital. After Ben's death, she returned to Denver in 1991 and stayed active for many years working for QualLife Community, reading and recording books and serving on the board of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, volunteering as an adult literacy tutor, and at the Adult Learning Source in Denver.

Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver was a large part of her life, starting from the age of seven. She was a 4th grade Sunday school teacher for many years, served on the Board of Deacons and was an Elder in the Session. She enjoyed answering the phones and greeting visitors to the church. She served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and Girl Scout Leader while her children were growing up. Jackie had a lifelong love of language and travel, learning Spanish and Latin in high school. Travel destinations included a 3 month camping trip to Europe in 1964 and overseas visits to Ben's brother Robert Summers and his wife Jeanne in Barbados and Thailand. She and sister Jeanne Lynette took many cruise trips including Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, St. Petersburg and the Mississippi River. Road Trips were a favorite thing to do, whether to the mountains of Estes Park, Colorado, or far away destinations like Canada or California. Disneyland with the grandchildren and great-grandchildren was something that she looked forward to. Jackie also had a love of gardening and encouraging things to grow. A yearly visit to the Denver Botanic Garden plant sale or the local garden center was a tradition.

She is survived by her son Richard (Robin) of Parker and daughter Catherine Hedges of Aurora, granddaughters Erica (Johnny) Brokaw of Breckenridge, Heidi (Jim) Sellars of Denver, Roberta (Jeremy) Sain of Clarendon, TX and Stephanie (Drake) Boley of Colorado Springs, nine great-grandchildren, sister Jeanne Lynette of Denver, brother-in-law Robert Summers of Lompoc, CA, sister-in-law Martha Summers of Anaheim, CA, and numerous nieces and nephews. Her parents, brother Howard Vincent, husband Benjamin F. Summers III and daughter Roberta precede her in death.

A Memorial Service to be held at 1:00pm, Saturday June 10, 2017 at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St, Denver. A reception with light refreshments to follow at the church. There will be a private Interment at Montview Church Garden Columbarium. Contributions in Jackie's memory may be made to Montview Church Deacon's Fund, Cystic Fibrosis, www.cff.org or a charity of your choice.