Don Summers

Summers, Don OCEANSIDE -- Don Summers, 91, an Oceanside resident since 1984, passed away on January 5, 2014 in hospice care in San Diego, CA. Don grew up in Lake Crystal, MN, the son of Charles and Elma Summers. He dropped out of Macalester College in St. Paul, MN following his second year to enlist in the Army Air Corps during WWII. Aviation became a lifetime passion. Following pilot training, Don was deployed to England in October 1944 to pilot the B17 Flying Fortress during the Ardennes offensive air campaign. Don flew 35 combat missions, totaling 270 combat hours in the European Theatre. He and his nine member crew were cited for successfully bombing industrial targets, enemy troop concentrations, strategic bridges, and war vessels. Don was the recipient of EAME Theater Ribbon with two Bronze Stars and the Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters. Upon completing his 35th combat mission, he was inducted into the Lucky Bastards Club and rotated back to the US. He later became a corporate pilot in Cincinnati and later became the chief pilot for Crown Auto in Columbus, OH. While at Crown, he started Air Ohio, a regional air charter business and flew many area businessmen and sports figures to destinations throughout the Midwest. In 1984, he and his wife Elinor retired to Oceanside. While in Oceanside, he invented and held patents on the Avdex Altitude Alerter and formed Tectron Corp to market the product. Don was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Keith Summers of Blue Bell, PA; and Elinor, wife of 67 years. He is survived by daughters, Cathy (Tom) Manuel, Karen (Fred) Lowery; sons, Don (Debbie) Summers and Brian Summers; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.