Ret. Senior Airman Sumner L. Cowan

Remember Our Heroes

Ret. Senior Airman Sumner L. Cowan, 27, of Valdosta, Ga., passed away Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009.

Sumner was born Sept. 29, 1982, in Fayetteville. He graduated from Schaumburg High School in Schaumburg, Ill., with the Class of 2001 and attended Harper College in Palatine, Ill., before entering the U.S. Air Force. During his enlistment, he served in Balad and Kirkuk, Iraq. He was on the ground during the initial elections in Baghdad and for a time was embedded with the U.S. Army. Sumner was assigned to the 823rd Security Forces Squadron at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia since 2005 and was medically retired in April 2009 due to injuries sustained in Iraq. Sumner proudly and loyally served his country and received many honors, awards and commendations for his dedicated service. Most recently, he was attending Georgia Military College in Valdosta.

Sumner is survived by his parents and stepparents, KerrieAnn Mayes-Skuran and husband, Craig Skuran of Schaumburg, Ill., and Thomas L. Cowan and wife, Selma of Woodbridge, Va.; one sister, Angelica Drumm of Woodbridge; two brothers, Thomas L. Cowan II and Ernest D. Cowan of Woodbridge; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; stepgrandparents, Victor and Mildred Skuran of Glenview, Ill., and Generosa Nery of Angeles City, Philippines. He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Ralph and Louise (Mack) Mayes; his paternal grandparents, Harold and Alma (Pyle) Cowan; and stepgrandfather, Ernesto David.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, at Chapel of Carson McLane Funeral Home in Valdosta with his cousin, the Rev. Don Cowan, officiating. Interment will take place at Arlington National Cemetery.

Sumner’s family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Carson McLane Funeral Home.