Clyde Summerell:
CLASS OF 1961
McClenaghan High SchoolClass of 1961
Florence, SC
Clemson UniversityClass of 1966
Clemson, SC
Clyde's Story
After graduating from McClenaghan in 1961, I attended Clemson and graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering in August 1966.
Having gone through 4 years of Army ROTC at Clemson, I received a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Ordinance Corp and entered active duty for 3 years in April 1967.
I made a life-altering decision, the best one I have ever made, and married Bonita (Bonnie) Lee Barker in October, 1967. She has been my soul mate and the love of my life. As a 2LT, we could have gotten food stamps if we had earned $10 less an month.
We finished my active duty obligation in April 1970 and left the military as a Captain, just avoiding me a 12-month vacation in beautiful Vietnam.
In September of 1970, I began my career with the FAA. Bonnie and I traveled an 8-state area in the Southeast while installed electronic equipment as an Engineer. Bonnie always claimed that she had spent more time in more motel rooms than hookers.
Bonnie and I came to Jacksonville in the fall of 1974 with the FAA. Bonnie took care of the house and I always had good reason to go home after work. We build and moved into our house in September, 1976. I spent the rest of my career at the Jacksonville ARTCC in Hilliard working mostly with the mainframe computer system.
Bonnie and I spent at least a couple years, cumulative, in Oklahoma City where the FAA does most of its training. Usually, either in July/August or January. Think hairdryer blowing in the face with someone tossing in power-sized sand, or 40 below chill factor and whiteout blizzards. Also, lots of tornadoes and not knowing where to run for shelter.
In 1999, Bonnie's mom was diagnosed with lung cancer when she had heart by-pass surgery. We began having her visit us quit often for treatment at the Baptist Cancer Institute and by 2001 we had her with us receiving hospice care until her death in July 2001. It was quit rewarding for us, and especially Bonnie, but being primary caregiver took a toll on Bonnie's health. However, I was dying from congestive heart failure in 2001, so Bonnie was trying to care for me also.
I was just finishing the diagnostics in late August. My cardiologist was suggestion that I needed a new type pacemaker that was not yet approved by the FDA. A doctor that he knew had been doing the clinical trials in Jacksonville for several years and I could make an appointment without referral. This doctor could make sure I got the new device. I was approved just before my consultation appointment.
I entered the hospital one morning in late September to get the pacemaker implanted, pale, ashen gray, and one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. A few hours later I had rosy cheeks and was demanding lots of food.
We had taken our first cruise in the 1990's and really enjoyed the 7 days of visiting the Caribbean Islands. So, I proposed that we take a c...Expand for more
ruise in 2002. We took a 12 day extended Carribean cruise through the islands and including a 100 mile journey up the Orinoco River in Venezuela. This was probably the third best decision of my life. The second best was asking Bonnie if we could renew our marriage vows on the cruise. Guys, if you want to make MAJOR points with the love of your life, reaffirming your love and commitment is the thing to do!
Bonnie was already having some health problems when we did the cruise, but she continued to get worse, particularly with arthritis limiting her mobility.
In May of 2003, she suffered a seizure from renal poisoning and was hospitalized. She regained consciousness 2 days later in Baptist ICU. Luckily, the ICU bed available was in the cardiac unit, because 2 days later, about 3 am, the nurse was talking to her and giving medications when her heart stopped. Never a good thing, but good place. She was so gravely ill that she could have easily given up and gone to the light. She set a record in Baptist ICU for being in a coma and coming back. I know now the advantage of being frugal with sick leave. From the time she went to the hospital I never reported to work again. I retired from the FAA in January 2004.
I was able to dedicate my life to caring for the person who had taken so much care of me for 35 years (and continued to try until her death). After several months in hospitals she was able to return home in a wheelchair. Bonnie had several stays in hospitals and nursing homes after that. She never was able to rebound fully from an incident and had several incidents that she could have easily let go. She had a strong will to live and get well. Unfortunately, in April 2007, her will was still there but her body had nothing left to respond to the call.
As difficult as it is watching someone slowly die, the absolute most difficult thing I will ever have to, I had to do the morning of April 23, 2007. Although I believe that her soul had flown heavenward even the day before, having the responsibility to authorize removal from life support is crushing. But Bonnie had spent 4 years, bought with much pain and suffering, and probably much negotiation with God, to give me those 4 years to reach the point that I could accept losing her.
I have received many blessing throughout my life, the greatest has been having Bonnie in my life for over 40 years. I look forward to the one greater blessing, which Bonnie has already received. Death no longer holds much fear for me. I will continue trying to be worthy to rejoin Bonnie and my other loved ones until my call comes. I can only believe that I have yet to complete all the tasks which God has assigned to me.
Since I don't pay the membership fee, they usually filter out my email address. If they don't catch this, you can reconstruct it from the following: summerell at earthlink dot net.
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