Paul Richard Summers

Paul Richard Summers was born on April 24, 1946 in Salt Lake City to James Clifford and Doris Elizabeth Cowlishaw Summers. His early memories of Salt Lake include going to Snelgroves for ice cream and taking the Bamberger train to Ogden to visit his grandparents.

The family moved to Denver where Paul graduated from East High School. Paul attended Brigham Young University and served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Austria in 1965-66. He retained a love of Austria and maintained his German language skills throughout his life.

Paul married Tan Asay on June 1, 1970. They lived a somewhat nomadic life as Paul went to medical school at the University of Colorado medical school in Denver where Laurel and Sharman were born; served his medical residency in OB-Gyn at Tulane University in New Orleans where Cherry and Howard were born; and had a private medical practice in Kilmarnock, VA where Celia and Todd were born.

Paul joined the faculty at Tulane University School of Medicine in 1984 as a specialist in gynecological infectious disease. In 1991 he moved to Salt Lake City and continued his infectious disease practice at the University of Utah, where he worked until illness forced him to stop in November 2021. He was recognized for his teaching skills and ability to solve the most difficult cases. Paul’s most outstanding characteristics were kindness and generosity. His coworkers say that he was always willing to take one more patient in his clinic, and always willing to cover someone else’s shift. He spent many Christmas Eves at the hospital taking shifts for doctors with young children at home.

Paul loved spending time with his family, in particular receiving visits from his children and grandchildren. He loved cars, airplanes, bloodhounds, studying World War II and the Vietnam war, woodworking, creating stained glass art, shopping for bargains, and collecting guns and knives. He never went hunting and only rarely had time for target shooting, but he always had a pocket knife with him. Paul was known for giving a new jacket, sweater, or knife to someone he thought would appreciate them, and giving out the best treats.

Paul is survived by his wife Tan; children Laurel Leishman (Mike), Sharman Clayton (Chris), Cherry Summers (Nitin Deshmukh), Howard Summers (Amber), Celia Summers, and Todd Summers (Joanne); seventeen grandchildren; and siblings Keith Summers (Kathy) and Cassandra Branch (Pat). He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Dale.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 8, 2021 at the Lakeview Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 455 South 1200 East, Bountiful. A viewing will be held Friday evening from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main, Bountiful and again Saturday morning 9:45-10:45 a.m. at the church prior to services.
Interment will take place at 1:00 pm at the Memorial Lakeview Cemetery, 1640 Lakeview Dr., Bountiful.
Services will be streamed live on Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/Russon-Mortuary-Crematory-105412734572327
as well as on this obituary page below: