William Thomas Cummings

William Thomas Cummings, son of Mable and Thomas Cummings, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on August 2, 1934. William moved to Denver, Colorado with his family at the age of seven. He graduated from high school in Denver and soon left to serve in the Air Force. William served his country in the Korean War as the first African American radio operator at the Hahn Airbase in Germany from 1954-1957.

Upon returning to the US after the Korean War, William took a job as a facilities manager with the Denver Public Schools. He had two daughters in his first marriage, Shunda and Nancy, and this marriage ended in divorce. William met his second wife, Lynne Barry Cummings, while working in the Denver Public Schools. Both William and Lynne (who goes by Barry) were very skilled pool (billiards) players. They would often play pool around town and Barry would say the only one who could beat her was William.

Barry and William were married in 1964. William proposed to Barry a Bobby Blue Bland Concert. They had two children, Allegra and Boyce.

William spent his entire civilian career at the Denver Public schools. He took many extra training courses to obtain specialized knowledge for the schools in which he worked.

William loved music, books, stereo equipment and secondhand stores (which he affectionately called “Junk Shops”). He was an avid fisherman in his youth.

In his later years William had the good fortune of making friends with Joyce Russell. She was his caretaker until the end of his life. Joyce and her mother, Callie, cooked amazing food, kept him safe, and were amazing friends for William until the end.

William is survived by his brother Morris Cummings, three of his four children (Allegra, Boyce, and Nancy), five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He leaves behind many friends including Joyce, Callie, Stanley, and many more.