House Resolution 552
By: Representatives Smith of the 70th, Gaines of the 120th, Cannon of the 172nd, Jenkins of
the 136th, Bonner of the 73rd, and others
A RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and memory of Michael Ernest Sumner; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens
with the passing of Michael Ernest Sumner on February 22, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Michael Ernest Sumner was born on February 12, 1958, in Nashville,
Tennessee, a beloved son of Ernest L. Sumner and Marjorie Meadows Sumner; and
WHEREAS, his family moved to Decatur, Georgia, in 1959, and he graduated from Lakeside
High School in 1976, the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia in
1980, and the University of Georgia Lumpkin School of Law in 1984; and
WHEREAS, Michael Ernest Sumner began his distinguished legal career at Glover & Davis
before working with Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs in Atlanta and later establishing his
own law practice in Newnan in 1996, which continues today as Sumner Meeker LLC; and
WHEREAS, he dedicated 16 years of service to the Coweta County Board of Education,
including five years as board chair, where he played a pivotal role in founding the Nixon
Centre for Performing and Visual Arts, developing Georgia's first technical charter high
school, and implementing Coweta County's senior tax exemption; and
WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife of 39 years, Leah, and together
they were blessed with three remarkable sons, Ernest, Stuart, and Thomas, and a cherished
granddaughter, Mary; and
WHEREAS, a man of deep and abiding faith, Michael Ernest Sumner devoted over five
decades of his life to Central Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, participated in the
chancel choir and a Gospel quartet, attended the weekly Men's Bible Study, and taught the
Connections Sunday School Class alongside Leah; and
WHEREAS, he was an enthusiastic sports fan who passionately supported Georgia football,
Virginia basketball, and the Atlanta Braves, with an encyclopedic knowledge of team history,
statistics, and personalities; and
WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Michael Ernest Sumner will long be
remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who
had the great fortune of knowing him.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Michael Ernest Sumner
and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the
family of Michael Ernest Sumner.