Jacqueline Summer Burpee Beard

November 29, 1963 - April 29, 2022

A beautiful and faithful wife, friend, sister, sister-in-law, daughter, and aunt, passed away on April 29, 2022. Summer, as she was known, was born in Athens, GA and raised in Riverdale, GA. A school swimmer and basketball player, she graduated from North Clayton High School in 1981. Summer’s college education began at Georgia State, where she was a member of the school’s water ski team. As a young adult living in Georgia, she was an avid cyclist, scuba diver, accomplished bartender, aerobics instructor, and international flight attendant. Even though she was a UGA Bulldog at heart, she ultimately graduated Cum Laude from MS State University, settling down in Muscle Shoals, AL after a short stint in Cullman, AL. Her degree was in broadcast meteorology, but her calling was with the Alabama Department of Health, where she was employed for the past 17 years. She was well respected and known for her dedication to the job. She held titles of Environmentalist, Senior Environmentalist, and Supervisor of Colbert, Franklin, and Marion counties. She was known as being tough, but fair and would always lend a helping hand or give thoughtful advice. She loved her work family and wanted her counties to succeed. Summer never met a stranger. She was kind, loving, and mastered the gift of gab. She could hold a conversation with the best of them. Summer loved to entertain and was a fabulous and accomplished cook and baker. She won baking contests and blue ribbons at State Fairs. Summer was also a self-taught painter. Everyone loved her artwork and proudly displayed her pieces. She had a unique gift at interior design and loved to use vibrant colors. Every spring and fall she filled her “patio pots” with bright flowers, appropriate for the season. Summer is survived by her father, Walter J. Burpee; sister, Stephanie Varnes (Robert); brother, Patrick Burpee (Tanya) and niece, Livija Burpee; aunt, Jennie Parham (Jimmy); cousins, Russ Parham and family, Andrea Frambrough (Chad), and Tonya Klopp (Steve); Richard Beard and special fur-babies, Greta and Cracker; William Beard; Wyatt and Allison, Will, Amalie, and Catherine Beard. Summer was preceded in death by her mother, Nancy Burpee; her uncle Tom Jackson, Nancy Beard, and great-grandmother Laura McMillin Wagner (“Mamoo”), a Daughter of the Confederacy and American Revolution. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at Morrison Funeral Home, in Tuscumbia with Rev. Dr. Rudy Guess officiating.