Austin John Sumner

Austin John Sumner was born in 1938 in the small town of Hokitika (Maori for "to return directly") on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. His parents moved Austin and his brother Denys to Wellington during their teenage years to enable their education. Following a year at Victoria University, Austin completed a medical degree and a Master of Medical Science with first class honors at the University of New Zealand in Dunedin. He was a houseman in Medicine at Wellington and Hutt Hospitals and met his wife Jane, who was then a staff nurse and later a Professor of Nursing, on the ward in 1965. Smitten, Austin proposed after only 3 weeks. After a delay to ensure his intentions were wholly honorable, Austin and Jane were married in 1966 - a union lasting 59 years.

After being awarded a Nuffield Foundation Post Doctoral Traveling Fellowship in 1968, Austin and Jane moved to London for neurology training at National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square. Their daughter Charlotte Jane was born in 1969 in a massive snowstorm hiding his adored MG. In 1971, Austin joined the neurology faculty at the University of California San Francisco. Austin and Jane's son, Austin John Donald, was born in 1972. He encouraged both of his children to pursue medicine, which they did, Charlotte also becoming a Neuromuscular Neurologist and Austin becoming an Occupational Medicine Specialist.

In 1974, Austin was pleased to follow his mentor, Professor Arthur Asbury to Philadelphia. During his 14 years at the University of Pennsylvania, he completed his most significant research in peripheral nerve and neurophysiology, which he presented all over the world and includes two conditions that bear his name: the Lewis-Sumner Syndrome and the Gilliatt-Sumner Hand. A sabbatical leave in 1980-81 in Paris allowed him to work on Guillain Barré Syndrome with Professor Gérard Saide. Weekend trips around France with his family to chateaus, cathedrals, and vineyards led to his lifelong interest in French wines.

In 1988, he moved his family to the "Big Easy" after accepting the position of Department Chair of Neurology at the Louisiana State University Health in New Orleans. He formally retired in 2014 as an Emeritus Professor of Neurology. Austin was always fascinated by the 'disease riddle' as he called it. He trained countless students, residents and fellows and treated hundreds of patients. He was revered for his clinical and electrodiagnostic skills and depended upon for his leadership, no more so than during the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina. He was proud of his roles in the collaboration of People's Health Network and LSU Health. Nationally and internationally, he was a founding member of the Peripheral Nerve Society, served as President of the American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and chaired the Brain Foundation of the American Academy of Neurology for 6 years

Austin was a man of many hobbies, all of which he studied assiduously. Most longstanding was breeding and racing pigeons, which he began in childhood. The second was dog field trials with his Gordon and English setters. These mock hunting competitions involved the whole family with long car rides, camping and/or staying in cheap hotels, and picnics with other field trailers, who all referred to him affectionally as "Doc." It was not uncommon for Austin to have multiple dogs, including Willie aka Bellmore's Knight, his most award-winning hunting dog. He was an inveterate collector and was scholarly in his approach. Collections included military horse saddles, English antique silver, antique furniture, oriental rugs, chronometers, Japanese Samurai swords, shotguns, fine wines, cars, and horology. Austin and Jane were students of history and as a result loved traveling the world. Together, they also loved hosting friends and colleagues at dinners and parties at their home.

Austin died soon after his 87th birthday on August 30, 2025 of bladder cancer in Burlington Vermont, the place that most reminded him of his native New Zealand, where he will "return directly" to his final place of rest. He is survived by his wife Jane, who made his rich life possible, his two children Austin and Charlotte, his four beloved grandchildren, Isabel (22), Lissy (20), Katie (17), and Austin Raj (14) and two wonderful daughters-in-law, Amita and Jennifer. In his final days, he enjoyed the company of his family, lawn bowling like his dad used to do, and watching the sunset over Lake Champlain amongst the pine trees and the mountains in the distance as he had done so times before. "Pops" will be deeply missed.

Arrangements are in the care of the Ready Funeral and Cremation Services. To send online condolences please visit www.cremationsocietycc.com