Obit of Sumner, George (s560) - Unknown County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 18 Aug 2004 Return to Unknown County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/okstate.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== GEORGE SUMNER Published on September 22, 1994 The Santa Rosa Press Democratt George Sumner, a Sonoma resident and director of public safety for the state of Hawaii, died Tuesday at his Sonoma home after a long battle with cancer. He was 62. Sumner once served as warden of San Quentin and Soledad state prisons. He had a long career in prison work, including 25 years in the California prison system. Born in Oklahoma, he and his wife, Marianne Sumner, moved to Sonoma less than a year ago because of his illness, according to a spokeswoman at Daniels Chapel of the Roses in Santa Rosa. Sumner was known for his tough policies as a prison warden that curbed violence and escapes in Nevada, where he eventually served as director of prisons. He took over as warden of Nevada State Prison in 1981. He left Nevada in 1989 for the director's position in Hawaii, then returned to the mainland in June. He still held the public safety director position for Hawaii at the time of his death. He also was a member of the Governor's Cabinet in Hawaii. U.S. Sen. Dick Bryan, D-Nevada, praised Sumner for overhauling Nevada's then troubled prison system. Some 40 people were taken hostage the year before Sumner took over as warden. Thirteen inmates, six of them convicted murderers, escaped in that incident. Sumner ended the rash of escapes. Besides his wife in Sonoma, Sumner is survived by his children, Connie, Gary, David, Vicki and Chris; his mother, Frances Deidamia Sumner of Santa Rosa; brother, Duane Sumner of San Rafael; and four grandchildren. Services will be held at 1 p.m. today at the Chapel at Santa Rosa Memorial Park, Santa Rosa. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Unknown County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/okstate.html