Opal Lavonne (Smith) Sumners

Funeral services for Opal Lavonne Smith Sumners, 93, of Lufkin will be held Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in the Elwin M. Gipson Chapel with Ralph Morgan officiating. Interment will follow in the Garden of Memories Memorial Park.

Opal was born May 13,1922 in Slagle, Louisiana, Vernon Parish, to the late Earl and Edna Hartzog Smith and died Saturday, April 30, 2016 at a local hospital.

Opal lived in Houston from 1929 until 1946, attending Houston Independent Schools and graduating from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1939. After graduating from Rice University in 1943, she worked with the Humble Oil Company in Baytown, Texas as a chemist at the Synthetic Butyl Rubber Plant. In 1945 and 1946, she worked as an accountant for a seismograph company in Houston. Opal married Clement Peter Sumners in 1946 and moved to Lufkin. After the birth of their children. She worked with her husband as office manager of Sumners Pontiac and later Sumners Mechanical Contracting. In 1987 she purchased and operated a fiber optic distributing company until she retired in 1997. Opal was a member of St. Cyprian’s Church where she taught Sunday School a few years and was a member of the Episcopal women’s group. She also participated in many community activities which included: Lufkin Service League, Museum Guild, Friends of the Library, Cancer Drives, United Way, the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, and DAR. She was a member of the Wednesday Bridge Club and over fifty years a member of The Literary Club.

Survivors include her husband Pete Sumners; sons, Larry Sumners and wife Susan and Philip Sumners and wife Jeannine; daughter, Susan Yeager and husband Scott; grandchildren, John Sumners, Russell Sumners, Stephen Yeager, David Yeager, Christine Yeager, Katie Sumners Phillips, and Kenneth Sumners; 11 great-grandchildren; and special friend, Wanda Trout.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother; also her daughter, Donna Sue.

The family would like to thank the nurses and therapy staff at PineCrest.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday evening at the funeral home.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.
Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.