The beauty in each new day begins with the choice we each have to make, whether what we do and say will be a blessing or a curse in the lives of those around us. The choice Maridieth “Mike” Summers made each day is abundantly clear as he lived his life in service to others and through him, countless lives were touched and even changed for the better. Always marching to the beat of his own drummer, Mike never paid much attention to the ways of the world or became consumed with the ever elusive pursuit of the American dream. He was more concerned with making each day count not only in thought, but in deed as well. A hard-working man through and through, Mike leaves behind lessons in generosity, integrity, and depth of character that will live on in the hearts and lives of those he leaves behind.

It was in 1922 that the family of Mike and Ruth (Hale) Summers, Sr. welcomed the birth of their son, Maridieth, on June 8th. Mike was born in a log cabin in Oscoda County, Michigan, located in the northern region of the state. From an early age he was labeled as “a very special” child by the adults around him and spent the rest of his life living up to such an honor. Mike attended Fairview High School through the 10th grade before transferring to Mio High School. As a student, he became involved in sports and played the trumpet in both the Mio High School Band and the Oscoda County Band, later donating both his trumpet and trombone to the band program of Alpena.

After graduating from high school as the class valedictorian in1940, Mike enrolled in Bay City Business College with a focus in business and accounting. He set his education aside for a time, however, when he entered the service in 1942 during WWII. Mike was part of D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and was in Trebek, Holland when V-E Day was announced on May 8, 1945. When refl ecting on this experience Mike wrote, “The ensuing all- day celebration left no doubt in my mind how wonderful freedom is.” Mike was honorably discharged, but remained connected by serving six years in the USAF reserves and through his lifelong memberships with the VFW and the American Legion. He was even offered a fi eld appointment to West Point Military Academy, but declined to accept the offer.

As a civilian once again, Mike returned to Michigan where he fi nished his schooling. He received a letter from the president of the college stating that he had accrued the “highest academic point total” in the school 70 plus year history. Mike’s education laid the foundation for the 26 years he worked as an accountant for Presque Isle Corporation.

Life would never be the same for Mike after meeting the love of his life. Her name was Agnes Kraynak and they married on May 14, 1950, in Bay City. Due to Mike’s acute health problems, the couple chose Alpena as their home in 1956. This became the community in which they raised their family that grew to include Sharon, Maridieth III, Brian, and Eric. With a desire to make a difference, Mike pledged his life to be useful to both his family and to his community with a focus on patriotism and prayer and a commitment to helping the youth in those same areas. Always a man of his word, he became instrumental in the award-winning “Proudly We Hail” program that helped thousands of young people understand the importance of the American Flag and all that it stands for. Mike chaired the 2004 program that won the Alpena National Banner for the area.

Faith played an important role in Mike’s life and he served within the First United Methodist Church in a variety of capacities. He was involved in their youth sports program and as chairman of its fi nance committee for 34 years. During that time, the committee initiated a church building fund that Mike saw through the completion of the new building. He served as the church’s resident agent for more than 20 years and also provided the sanctuary Christmas trees for nearly 30 years.

Mike’s heart beat to reach the youth in his community. He was a supporter of the Alpena Babe Ruth program since 1975 and was involved in the Exchange Club in a variety of ways. As a life-member, Mike received numerous awards through the years including the Book of Golden Deeds, the Club Builders Award, and Michigan Exchangite of the Year. Mike also served with the Alpena Little League program for 10 years and was an active board member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America for nearly 47 years. He was honored as the club’s “Man of the Year” in 1973 and was an honorary lifetime board member with emeritus status.

Mike’s love for participating in sports of all kinds that began as a young boy continued throughout his life whether he was playing, coaching, winning awards or offi ciating. A partial list of the sports he participated in includes baseball, badminton, basketball, bowling, horseshoes, pool, tennis, and track.

A universal blood donor for the American Red Cross, Mike donated 189 units of blood (23.5 gallons) in fi ve states and six countries throughout his life. He was also an active blood drive coordinator in 70 drives, collecting 7,041 units and was recognized as Volunteer of the Year by the American Red Cross for which he received several special awards of appreciation. As a result of his involvement and commitment to blood drives, August 9, 2000, was proclaimed Mike Summers Day “in honor of his selfl ess dedication and the volunteer work he has done” by Mayor Philip Ludlow.

As Mike entered the sunset of his life, he remained active in his community despite having been diagnosed with several terminal illnesses. While Mike’s pace slowed as he reached his 80th birthday, he was surprised with the prestigious honor of being named “Fellow of the College” in 2002 by Alpena Community College. Later that year, the college named him as “Outstanding Senior Citizen of Michigan.” Early in 2004, Mike was granted Emeritus Status in the accounting profession by the National Association of Accountants. In April of that same year, the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena presented him its highest honor, “The Champion of Youth,” a national award.

When refl ecting on the life of Maridieth Summers, mere words don’t seem to accurately paint the picture of who he was. An activist, a patriot, and a selfl ess giver, he impacted the lives of those too numerous to count. Mike will be dearly missed and warmly remembered.

Maridieth “Mike” K. Summers, Jr. died on June 7, 2010. Mike’s family includes his wife, Agnes, a daughter; Sharon (Bob) Barnes of Alpena, three sons; Maridieth (Karen) III of Williamston, Brian (Ronda Stevens) of Big Rapids, MI Eric of Lachine, four grandchildren; Dalton, Bryant, Christopher, Justin, a sister; Harriet Bukowski of Bay City, MI, a step-brother; Jonathan (Helen) Bolger of Fairview, MI, and several nieces and nephews. Mike was preceded in death by his parents. Family and friends will gather on Sunday, June 13, 2010 at First United Methodist Church from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Gene Bacon offi ciating. Military honors will be accorded by VFW Post #2496. Please visit www. lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory or make a memorial donation to First United Methodist Church, Boys and Girls Club of Alpena, or the American Red Cross (either monetarily or through blood donation). The family chose McWilliams Funeral Home - Alpena to assist them.