Our Dad, Brian Eugene Sumsion AKA B.E.S.T. (The T in his name was silent, just ask him) was born on Friday, February 19, 1960 to Betty Lou Sumsion. He was the second to youngest of her five children: Mary Kathlee, Debbie, Cherri, Brian and CAP.
He left his earthly life to be with all those he loved who left before him in Heaven on Friday, September 23, 2022 after a year long, valiant journey with cancer.
Dad spent his childhood in Salt Lake City and attended Granite High. His lifelong friends and siblings have stories for days about his youth. Let's just say Dad loved living on the edge and if he saw a chance for adventure, he took it. His childhood wasn't the easiest but it made him the person he was, and he was nothing short of amazing.
Dad met our Mom (Kathleen Meeks) when he was 17. They were high-school sweethearts and each others first loves. They married on June 20, 1980 and had the three of us kids: Stacie (1984), Justin (1987) and Joshua (1991). They later divorced but they stayed friends and worked together to make sure we all had the best childhoods.
He married Suzanne Taylor on September 10, 1996. He gained a step-daughter (Kelby) when they married and he kept her as a forever step-daughter, and he and Suzanne remained friends after they divorced.
Dad was able to spend the last 10+ years of his life with his sweetest B, his girlfriend, Bridget. Bridget and Dad were B&B and if you saw them together, you knew how special their bond was. He loved her and cherished all of their adventures. They enjoyed hunting for rocks and crystals, going to Nascar races, going to Wendover, and just enjoying each other's company. They were best friends and partners in crime. He loved her son Kyle like his own and he considered her family his family, too. She loved us kids and his grandkids like her own, and she selflessly took on the role of caregiver this past year and he was forever grateful to her for loving him unconditionally and taking care of him until the very very end. Us kids are forever grateful to her as well.
Dad made a career in the Automotive industry. Starting out in Autoglass where he worked for a few different companies and also owned a few companies of his own. Spending the majority of the last 20+ years working for his late mentors (Lloyd Hansen's) family/National Auto Plaza. Most of that time as a Service Manager at their Sandy and American Fork locations. He loved his work family and created many life-long friendships in the Automotive industry that he cherished until the very end. Special thanks to his NAP family for the extra love and support they showed him during the hardest year of his life. It meant more to him than you'll ever know. When the cancer made it to where he could no longer work, leaving his work family was one of the things he took the hardest. He loved you all so so much.
Dad was truly a man's man and could fix just about anything. He was the type of handyman you wanted in your house.
He LOVED Nascar (KB 45) AND (KB 18), music and concerts, yard projects, gardening, canning, hunting for rocks/crystals with his B, and hunting, fishing and camping with friends and family. He was able to go on his dream hunt this past November and brought home the Bull Elk he'd been waiting 25+ for a chance to get. He made sure the mount was placed in his very small living room because he wanted EVERYONE to be able to see it.
Dad loved a lot of things, but spending time with his family and the ones he loved was his most favorite thing to do. He loved being able to take his three grandkids on adventures and attending any and all of their extra curricular events. They were his pride and joy. In his own words, "I love you to the moon and back". There wasn't anything he wouldn't have done for his family and the ones he loved and he never missed an opportunity to let you know that he loved you. He was just simply the best.
A few years ago, with the help of Ancestry DNA he was able to find the missing piece he'd been searching his whole life for... His biological father. Francis Ray Cassell had already passed, but he was able to travel to Nebraska and meet a few family members from that side of his family. Special thanks to Belva Cassell and the many other Steele City Clan members for welcoming him into your family with open arms. He spent his life looking for that love and acceptance and you gave him just that. Our family will be forever grateful to you. He loved your family and had plans to come back and visit again before he got sick.
I could go on and on about just how great our Dad was, but bottom line was this:
He was a great Dad, Grandpa, Brother, Brother-in-law, Uncle, Step-Dad, Nephew, Cousin, Coworker and Friend. He lived life to the fullest and what an amazing life it was. He touched the hearts of so many and will be sorely missed. We'll especially miss that smile you could spot from a mile a way, that oh so contagious laugh, and the wicked sense of humor. The world is a little less bright without him in it. Rest in love until we meet again.
Survived by his three kids: Stacie, Justin, and Joshua. His three grandkids: Zakk, Bellah and Oakley. His girlfriend Bridget Irvin & her son, Kyle Hammons. His sisters & brother: Debbie (John) Gillette, Cherri (Morris) Pratt, Fran Jordan, Char (John) Vantress, and Charles AKA CAP (Dawn) Paul. His Uncle and Aunt Lynn and Marlene Christman, lots of cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews and many, many friends. His best friend, Rick's mom (his second Mom), Marge Bryant.
Preceded in death by his Mom, Betty Lou Leach, sister Mary Kathlee, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, his favorite nephew Levi Vanwagenen (sorry other nephews), his best friend Rick Bryant and Rick's Dad (his father figure) Chuck Bryant.
A viewing will be held on Friday, September 30, 2022 from 6-8 PM. A celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at 11 with an additional viewing immediately before the celebration of Life from 10-10:45 AM. All of the services to be held at Valley View Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 4335 W 4100 S, West Valley City, UT 84120.
We welcome all those who loved and cared about him to come celebrate him with us. We'll be having a final send-off/celebration of Life/late lunch/party at Dad's house after the services at 3 PM. Bring a side to share and of course, BYOB.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ValleyViewFuneral.com for the Sumsion family.
Services may be viewed from the link below.
https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.php?k=1664330770210423
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