Donald Brown Summers

1948 - 2025

Donald Brown Summers, 76, of Elizabethtown, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, of complications from duodenal cancer at University of Louisville Hospital.
Born Nov. 8, 1948, he was a graduate of East Hardin High School and the agriculture program of the University of Kentucky. He also was a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves and a long-time member of Severns Valley Baptist Church.
Don was an integral part of the agricultural community in the Glendale area. A lifelong farmer, he once served as chairman of the Hardin County Extension Council. Always ready to offer a helping hand to his friends and neighbors, he pitched in whenever there was a need. If someone had too many acres left to harvest or another farmer fell ill, he could be counted on to help. He enjoyed a morning routine of socializing with folks at the Petro truck stop and never set foot into Glendale or E'town without seeing someone he knew and stopping to chat. A towering presence, once standing at 6-foot, 4 3/4-inches tall, he was hard to miss in a crowd.
In his free time, Don loved playing cards with friends and listening to bluegrass, '60s surf rock and country music. He played both acoustic and electric guitar, often with a local group, and he was delighted when his only granddaughter followed in his footsteps and began playing guitar as well. To say that Violet was the apple of his eye would be a vast understatement. Being a doting grandfather was one of the great joys of Don's life.
He is survived by his devoted wife of nearly 54 years, Dianna; a daughter, Tara Lee Bower (Sean) of Elizabethtown; a son, Daniel Byron Summers of Louisville; and his aforementioned granddaughter, Violet Jane Bower.
He is preceded in passing by his parents, Thomas Byron Summers and Mabel Collins Summers.
The funeral is at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Brown Funeral Home in Elizabethtown. Burial follows at the Poplar Flats Cemetery in Nelson County.
Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.