John Summaria, a Sun City resident, wanted to live long enough to celebrate his 100th birthday. Marie Prester, also a Sun City resident and Summaria’s sister, believes it everything Summaria wished.
“He did have many wonderful celebrations for his milestone birthday. Both his Bridge and Pinochle Charter Club card groups celebrated his birthday. There was a celebration at the VFW and another at a family gathering. He enjoyed them all tremendously. Summaria was born on December 5, 1925, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the third of six children.”
Anna Alagna, President of the Pinochle Charter Club, welcomed all pinochle players on December 8 and said, “We will be celebrating a living treasure who is ten decades young.”
Sandy Deacon, a Pinochle player, helped organize the event, said, “We wanted to honor him with a celebration with his friends in the Pinochle club.”
Prester drives her brother to card games each week. He arrived wearing a shirt that read, “AT 100 I AM STILL PLAYING WITH A FULL DECK. I JUST SHUFFLE SLOWER.”
Summaria’s nephew, Larry Prester, looks up to Summaria.
“My uncle, John Summaria, is one of the kindest and generous people God put on this planet. A war hero who earned many medals fighting in the South Pacific, including a Purple Heart. He was in the Army’s 96th Infantry Division, called the Deadeyes because of their superior marksmanship.”
Summaria enlisted in the army shortly after graduating from Oak Park High School on September 18, 1944. He was known as a BAR man responsible for carrying and firing the Browning automatic rifle. He fought in the Sugar Battle and King Hill.
Larry said, “his last fight was in Okinawa. It was the bloodiest battle yet. On June 14, 1945, the second day of the intense fighting, he was wounded by a hand grenade, leaving shrapnel in his arms and legs. He still has some shrapnel in his arms and legs. They could not get medics to him because of the fierce gunfire. He was instructed to crawl on his belly over 200 yards to where the medics were.”
Summaria received numerous recognitions for his service, including the Purple Heart, two bronze stars, the Good Conduct Medal, the Victory Medal, and others. The Purple Heart was awarded for his bravery when he was wounded by a hand grenade in Okinawa, crawling on his belly for over 200 yards to reach the medics. His two bronze stars honored his exceptional acts of heroism in the Sugar Battle and King Hill. The Good Conduct Medal was a testament to his impeccable service throughout the war. Each ribbon, including those for the Asiatic-Pacific, Philippine Independence and Liberation, and WWII Victory, tells a story of courage and dedication.
Summaria enjoyed taking pictures in his sweatshirt with his cake, with the Veterans playing the game, and in a group photo. He also enjoyed his time playing the game.
Tim Harrington, a neighbor and a friend, gave Johnny, as he was known to his friends and family, a ride home.
“Johnny was excited to celebrate his 100th birthday. He had a sharp mind. On the way home, he would always ask me, ‘Did you get good cards?’”
On December 29, the Pinochle Club gathered for another afternoon of card games, but Summaria was not present. Harrington had not received a confirmation text from Marie that Johnny would be coming.
“We were playing cards, and I got a call from my wife who had just received the news that Johnny had died that morning,” Harrington said.
Alagna made the sad announcement that their friend and card player had passed away.
Marie said, “He got his wish. He made it to his 100th birthday. He will be missed by all, and especially our 4-year-old granddaughter, who was his shadow.”
