Longtime Moorestown Doctor, 70, Remembered For Dedication To Service, Family

The following obituary for Dr. Richard Blair Summersgill, of Moorestown, comes from the Lewis Funeral Home.

Dr. Richard Blair Summersgill of Moorestown, New Jersey died peacefully at home on July 17, 2023. He was 70 years old. Dr. Summersgill was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in the fall.

He dedicated his life to service and to his family. He was a physician for 45 years—35 of them in Moorestown, where he cared for hundreds of local families until he retired in 2018. Dr. Summersgill graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, where he majored in Biology and was captain of the rifle team. After graduating from Philadelphia’s Jefferson Medical School, he served in the United States Army for nine years, including assignments in Fort Ord, California and Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Among his friends and family, he was known for his kindness and great sense of humor and among his grandchildren for his legendary camping trips and sweet tooth. His favorite pie was Key Lime, and he couldn’t drive by a donut shop without stopping to sample the baked goods. He loved to play with his grandkids and was frequently spotted at their many soccer, lacrosse and basketball games and dance recitals, cheering loudly and occasionally starting the wave.

Dr. Summersgill loved to play golf and tennis and to travel. He was an avid cyclist and rode through Scandinavia, Italy, Austria and Slovenia. A trip to Gettysburg as a teenager sparked a lifelong fascination with Civil War history. He visited many historic battlefields up and down the East Coast, volunteered to clean up historic sites and collected an impressive library of history books that will be donated to the Moorestown Public Library.

Dr. Summersgill is survived by his wife of 48 years, Linda Snyder Summersgill, his daughter, Julie Townsend and her husband Tim, his son Michael Summersgill and his wife Devon, and his son Andrew Summersgill and his wife Jessica, plus seven amazing grand-kids.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 2nd from 5:00-6:00 p.m. in the Library at the Community House of Moorestown. Those who wish to pay their respects to the family are welcome to stop by during the visitation hours between 3:00-5:00 p.m.In lieu of flowers, the family is encouraging donations in Dr. Summersgill’s memory to three organizations that do extraordinary work to help patients and families navigate challenging circumstances.

The ALS Association, https://donate.als.org/give
The Paralyzed Veterans of America or https://secure.pva.org
Samaritan Hospice https://samaritannj.org/giving/donate-now/