Aaron Lee Summers Sr.

Obituary for Elder Aaron Lee Summers, Sr. January 1, 1950 - May 15, 2024
According to Providence, Elder Aaron Lee Summers, Sr. was born January 1, 1950, to Ms. Luola Nelson and Mr. Philip Summers in Leesburg VA. He was one of four children. During the moments Eld. Summers would describe his childhood, he spoke of very fond memories growing up in Purcellville, VA in his grandparents' home. He would describe the tree out front with the tire swing and the gardening activities that his grandfather and uncle would do. As any family, they had their trials and tribulations, but he would often speak about how his growing up was the quintessential example of "It takes a village..." His village was his grandparents, mother, aunts, uncles, brothers, and cousins. Before the Lord got a hold of Eld. Summers, many would say he was rough around the edges and built up a "tough guy" persona for which he garnered the nick[1]name "Crip!" At the time, he embraced that name but would later grow to hate it after the Lord got a hold of him because he felt like God had changed him for the better and turned his heart of stone to a heart of flesh.
Eld. Summers use to share the story with his family that his grandfather told him that the path he was going down in his younger years would lead to his death by the age 21. God however had other plans for Eld. Aaron. and as providence would have it, Eld. Aaron Summers was introduced to and cast his lot with The Supreme Council of the House of Jacob in the early part of 1970, a little less than a year before his 21st birthday. God blessed him to not only live to see the age of 21 but blessed him to see his 74th birthday this year for which he was so eternally grateful.
After joining the church, Eld. Summers' love for God and the church grew fast and his understanding of the teachings and precepts of the church increased rapidly. As a result, he became a dedicated member of the Supreme Council of the House of Jacob. Eld. Summers would often share that the most influential reason he joined and stayed in the church was the deep and profound unity he saw with the saints and was grateful for how his new church family embraced him like a brother. During this time, he witnessed the birth of his first child, Maria Israel whom he loved dearly on August 1, 1971.
God surrounded Eld. Summers with great teachers and preachers that would share the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with him for which he was grateful. He became heavily involved with the church, church activities and labor for the Lord. He was one of many pioneering brothers from Winchester that traveled to our church's headquarters in Bethlehem Township, OH to do dry wall work and other tasks throughout the church headquarter property and especially the New Boys Dorm. He was also blessed to be one of many pioneers from Winchester to travel to our church property in Loretto, MD. to help build Israel's Assembly Hall. When the call went out for a new church edifice to be built Winchester, VA, Eld. Summers was proud to be one of those who would answer the call to labor for the Lord in that endeavor. He spent many days and nights working on that edifice with the other brothers from Winchester and the surrounding areas. He was also proud of the drywall repair and mudding work he did alongside Elder Wayne Mason at the Martinsburg, WV mission.
On August 12, 1976, Elder Aaron Summers was joined in holy matrimony to St. Cynthia Gales of Paw Paw, WV and from this union came 4 children, Aaron Lee Jr., twin boys Martin Elijah and Marvin Elisha and one daughter, Letitia Christine. Eld. Summers was a family man through and through. He loved his family with his whole heart. He was a dedicated husband to his wife, a strong example of a Poppa to all His children and a loving grandfather. Many times, he would go without, if necessary, to ensure his family had everything they needed. Eld. Summers would often express that he never had joy as full as the birth of all his grandchildren. Due to how influential his grandparents were in his upbringing, he was adamant to do the same for his grandchildren after the sudden death of his daughter, Maria Israel. He raised his grandchildren Jy Lynn Harrison and Aaron Justus Butler as his own (His children would say better than his own). Eld. Summers did everything he could to make sure his family was taken care of even up to his last days.
Eld. Summers loved music and learned to play the bass and loved playing his bass in the service of the Lord. Elder Summers also loved to sing the songs of Zion. He was a proud member of the men's group, The Heavenly Sons, a name given to this group by Father W.B. Israel, S.O.T. He also was a proud member of the Chariot Wheels of Winchester, VA and was well known for his part on the last line of each verse for the song, "The Devil Is Trying to Get You Down" in his baritone voice. Eld. Summers was also proud to be one of the founding members of the 100 Voice National Choir of the Supreme Council of the House of Jacob formed by Father W.B. Israel, S.O.T. He was proud of the songs that the Holy Ghost had given him, namely the songs entitled "Just for Serving the Lord" and the last song the Holy Ghost gave him, "There Ain't Nothing That God Can't Do" during the last year of his sickness.
Eld. Aaron Summers was made a junior minister on March 19, 1971, a little more than a year after joining the church. He was ordained to the ministry effective July 17th, 2016, and the ceremony was performed in Winchester, VA during the one-day District Meeting on August 21st. 2016. Eld. Summers was so proud to be ordained that he didn't wait for anybody else to take a picture of him wearing his clergy shirt and clergy collar, he took a "selfie" using his cell phone and sent it to everybody in the family. Eld. Summers loved to preach, teach and share the Word of God with anybody that would hear him. His wife and children affectionately remember many Sunday mornings hearing him preaching while getting ready for church. Many times, his wife and children heard two sermons on Sunday Morning, the one by Eld. Summers preached before church and then the actual sermon preach at church by the Pastor. Another proud moment for Eld Summers was on October 14, 2014, when he walked across the rostrum in our first tabernacle in Bethlehem Township, OH to accept his diploma as a graduate of The Supreme Council of the House of Jacob Elementary Bible School. Elder Summers worked hard to complete this endeavor and viewed receiving this diploma as one of his proudest moments because of all the work he put in to achieve it.
Eld. Summers found a great love of the outdoors when he was introduced to fishing by one of his closest friends, Presiding Elder David Thomas, Jr. in the mid 1980's and fishing became a lifelong joy for him. He loved fishing, whether it was from the bank of a local pond or lake or fishing with his friend and brother in Christ, Elder Thomas who had a boat. Another proud moment for Eld. Summers was when he was able to get his own boat and with the help of Eld. Thomas and his brother Eld. Lonnie Summers, he fixed up that old boat with joy and spent countless hours fishing out of his new boat that he had fixed up catching largemouth bass with the many different artificial lures. His go-to bait of choice was the Yamamoto Hula Double Tail Grub that Eld. Summers affectionately called "the frog." Eld. Summers just knew that was the best artificial lure on the market and swore by it. He loved and got great joy going fishing with his brothers, Eld. Lonnie and Mr. Derek Summers. As Eld. Summers' health began to decline, he looked forward to and got great joy from the times when He and his son, Eld. Martin would plan for and go on fishing trips when he could no longer go by himself. One of the things he wanted to do before he passed was to come up to Connecticut to fish with his son, Eld. Martin. God granted him the desires of his heart on May 28th, 2022, where they had a "banner day" catching largemouth bass. Of course, Eld. Aaron was fishing this his "frog" and caught the most fish and the biggest fish of the day that he may or may not have rubbed in the face of his son. His last fishing trip was to Lake Frederick on September 2, 2023, where he was able to fish from the bass boat that he had bought for his son the year prior. There are many things that can be said about Elder Aaron Summers and the impact he has on so many. But there is neither enough time to tell or paper to write all the things Elder Summers did and the people who he positively impacted and those that positively impacted him in time God allotted him upon the earth in that tabernacle. Eld. Summers loved God, His church, and His family unto the end. One of the last things he shared that he wanted everyone one that ever did anything for him and his family to know, "tell them because of you all, I lived a good life and thank them for everything they've done for me and my family." And so it was on May 15, 2024, God called Elder Aaron Lee Summers, Sr. peacefully from labor to reward, in his home with his wife and grandson by his side, holding the hand of his wife of 48 years.
Elder Aaron Summers was proceeded in death by his mother, Ms. Luola Nelson, his sister Andree Smith and his daughter, Maria Israel Summers. He is survived by his wife, St. Cynthia Summers of Winchester, VA, his sons, Brother Aaron Summers, Jr. (St. Anetra Summers) of Winchester, VA, Elder Martin Summers (Elderess Patricia Summers) of Branford, CT and Deacon Marvin Summers of East Haven, CT, his daughter, St. Letitia Hansley (Brother Gabriel Hansley), his brothers, Elder Lonnie Summers of Stephens City, VA and Mr. Derek Summers (Mrs. Peggy Summers) of Winchester, VA, His Aunt, Mrs. Sarah Thomas of Purcellville, VA, 9 grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
A Celebration of Life Service will be 1:00 pm, May 25, 2024, at The Supreme Council of the House of Jacob in Winchester, Va. with Bishop Mark Faith officiating.
The family will receive friends Friday 6:00 pm to 7:00pm at Cartwright Funeral Home in Winchester, Va., and one hour before service at the church.
Interment will be in Orrick Cemetery in Winchester, Va.
Ministry of Comfort Entrusted to
Cartwright Funeral Home
Winchester, VA
cartwrightfuneralhome.com