Urban G. Sommer

Urban Sommer, beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and companion, died on May 11, 2020 in Tulsa, Oklahoma from complications following a stroke.

His life was a miracle as he was born three months early on February 9, 1949 and, weighing only a few pounds, could fit in a shoebox when we was brought home. He spent his favorite childhood years in Josephville, Missouri, riding the tractor with his grandfather, hunting, and fishing. He moved to the “city” of St. Charles with his family in 1962 when he was 13. He graduated from Duchesne High School and attended the University of Missouri, Columbia. He received his MBA from Lindenwood College.

Urban worked in procurement for several large corporations, including Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, WilTel/MCI Worldcom, and Jack Henry & Associates. His career took him from St. Charles, MO to cities such as Lake Jackson, TX, Tulsa, OK, and Monett, MO. He retired in 2014 and moved back to St. Charles to care for his mother, then back to Tulsa where he remained until his death.

While Urban had an incredibly strong work ethic, he probably worked harder at home and in his personal life. He always had a carpentry project that kept him busy. He remodeled several homes with his long-time companion, Joyce, taught his son-in-law how to lay tile and build things that would withstand an earthquake, and completed various projects for his sister Jean. He helped many a friend with a deck or a patio or make some other home improvement. His last project was to add an addition to the home he shared with Joyce.

When he wasn’t working on a project, he spent his retirement traveling with Joyce or spending time with his grandsons Sam and Benjamin, who he loved dearly. He also enjoyed reading, working in the yard with Joyce, and watching home improvement shows. He was generous to those in need, giving to organized nonprofits, as well as to individuals. Perhaps he was most generous to his family, and always looked after his mother and younger brother after his father's untimely death in 1973.

He is survived by his long-time companion, Joyce Smith; his daughter and son-in-law Christin and Brian McMeley and their sons Sam and Benjamin; his son Brian Sommer and his three children; his sister and brother-in-law, Jean and Hal Villaveces; his sister and brother-in-law Marybeth and Jim Eusterbrock; his brother Ronald Sommer; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, mother, and his brother, Richard.