Ronald Keith Sumpter

Philippians 3:20-21

Ronald Keith Sumpter, 86, of Brooksville, Florida, passed away September 24, 2024.

He was born in Chapin, Illinois, on September 20, 1938. After graduating from high school in Illinois in 1956, he enlisted in the Air Force and changed the course of his life forever. After technical training, he was first assigned to MacDill AFB in Tampa, Florida, as an Aircraft Control & Warning specialist. While stationed in Tampa, he and a friend went to a lake one day. “Accidentally on purpose,” he tossed a ball toward a petite girl with dark hair who caught his eye. Ron and Gloria Jean Martin were married on August 1, 1959, at Northeast United Methodist Church in Tampa. He left the enlisted force in 1960 to earn his bachelor’s degree in history from University of South Florida. Meanwhile, he and Gloria started their family, dedicating themselves to their children Wayne, Karen, and Laurie. During a church service one evening, Ron and Gloria both felt the call to a life of ministry. Ron’s next step was to attend seminary at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he received a Master of Divinity. After several student pastorates in Georgia and Florida, the Lord led him back to serve the spiritual needs of those in the Air Force. In joining the U.S. Air Force chaplaincy, Ron and Gloria had assignments at Lowry (CO), a one-year tour at DaNang in Vietnam, Pope (NC), MacDill (FL), Alconbury (England), Maxwell (AL), Randolph (TX), Grissom (IN), and Guam. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1986 after a total of 21 years of honorable service and numerous awards.

Service and ministry were a lifelong work for Ron and Gloria. They continued to pastor in small churches in Maryland before returning to their homeland in Central Florida including Bushnell, Inverness, and Lake Lindsey. He brought empathy to his work as a hospital chaplain at Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville.

Although he certainly had a competitive side when it came to sports, Ron was in essence a humble man who exuded care, compassion, and patience. He and Gloria were often at the bedside of others in their last hours, bringing comfort in sorrow and sharing the joy of salvation. He honored the dignity of every person with kindness and friendliness, never overlooking “the least of these.” He had a down home sense of humor and enjoyed a good joke or ribbing with anyone. He was highly respected for his willingness to help in any situation, including serving on the board of Wesleyan Village.

He was a man devoted to studying the Word of God. He could be found most every morning with his coffee, Bible, and study books seeking out biblical wisdom and truth. His children cherish that he was a dad who was available and approachable, their rock who could fix any problem, on whom they could depend for care, compassion, and understanding. Though he came from a meager background, he remained ever humble even with his travels, experiences, education, and military awards. As his daughter Laurie said, “Dad didn’t care about rank or anything. He cared most about someone’s salvation. He just cared about his ministry.” That was the life of Ronald Sumpter along with Gloria, his wife of 65 years.

He is survived by his precious wife Gloria Jean Sumpter; children Wayne Sumpter (Karen) of Omaha, NE; Karen Overbey (Buck) of Little Rock, AR; and Laurie Sumpter of Brooksville, FL; seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Also surviving are his brother Eugene Sumpter of Jacksonville, IL and sister Daisy Sanders of Meredosia, IL.

Funeral arrangements will be held at Brooksville Wesleyan Church on Friday, September 27, 2024. Visitation is at 10:00am followed by a service at 11:00am. Interment will be at 11:30am, Monday, September 30, 2024, at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.