Somers– Dr. Donald D. Kummings, 77, passed away at home on November 10, 2017 after a courageous battle with cancer. His wife, Patricia Kummings, was by his side.

Don was born on July 28,1940 to Herman and Estelle (nee: Easterwood) Kummings in Lafayette, Indiana.

In 1962, Don received a B.A. in Creative Writing from Purdue University and in 1964 received a M.A. in English, with a minor in Philosophy. In 1971, he received his Ph.D. in English and American Studies from Indiana University.

In 1963, he married Gayle Savage. They had two children, Kevin Scott, born on August 6,1963, and Jeremy William, born on December 30, 1971. The couple divorced in 1980.

He married Patricia Finnelly Larson in Racine on March 20,1987. Throughout their 30 years of marriage they traveled extensively, including trips to Africa, Eastern & Western Europe, Russia, Asia, South America, Central America and the Middle East.

Don dedicated his life to teaching and taught for a total of 43.5 years. He taught at Purdue University, Adrian College in Michigan, Indiana University at Bloomington, and at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for 36 years.

While at Parkside, Don was recognized for his scholarly achievements and received many honors and awards. He was considered one of the nation's leading experts on Walt Whitman and authored three books about the poet and his works. He also wrote a collection of his own poems in the book, The Open Road Trip: Poems. Don's contributions to the campus and community also included assisting in the founding and operation of the UW-Parkside Foreign Film Series.

Don is survived by his wife, Pat; his brother, John of Eaton Park, Florida; his son, Jeremy and daughter-in-law, Jill (Murray) of Minneapolis; three grandsons, William, Eamon and Lincoln; his step-children, Laura (Keith) Stummer, Wanda (Todd) Stingley, Eric Larson and Diana (Saunders) Kohn; six step-grandchildren, Erin, Megan, Elyse, Adam, Blair and Zhenya. His parents and his son, Kevin, preceded him in death.

There will be a private family service and a public celebration of life for friends and colleagues that will be announced at a later date. For more information about Don's life and the upcoming celebration, please go to www.donaldkummings.org .

Service Details

Private services will be held.