In Loving Memory of Our Founder, Dr. Robert Sumner
Dr. Robert Sumner
December 26, 1932 — October 4, 2025
Dear Friends of Serving at the Crossroads,
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our beloved founder, Dr. Robert "Bob" Sumner. While we mourn the loss of an extraordinary man, we also celebrate a life lived in profound service to others—a life that transformed countless lives in Honduras and inspired so many of us to follow his example.
A Vision Born from Compassion
Bob's journey began with what he thought would be a routine mission trip to La Entrada, Honduras, shortly after his retirement from dentistry. But on the last night of that trip, an image changed everything. As the mission team enjoyed a thank-you barbecue, Bob turned to see 125-150 men, women, and children standing outside the fence, staring at the feast—many whose pleas for medical help had been turned away during the week because of restrictions on who could be treated.
That night, Bob couldn't sleep. The faces at the fence haunted him, and from his sleepless hours came a vision: not just another mission trip, but a permanent solution. A place where quality healthcare would be available to all who needed it, regardless of their ability to pay.
Bob with the cornerstone of the Clinic in 2004.
A Legacy of Lasting Impact
What began as one man's vision has grown into something extraordinary:
The Manos Amigas clinic, open 6 days a week, staffed by 25 dedicated Honduran professionals
Almost 280,000 patient visits since 2005, with people traveling up to 5 hours—some on foot, some on horseback—to receive care they could never otherwise afford
Life-saving wound care preventing amputations, sight restored to the blind, hearing returned to the deaf
Young Hondurans empowered to pursue careers in medicine, dentistry, and optometry, including a brilliant receptionist who became the clinic's optometrist
Bob didn't just build a clinic; he built a sustainable model based on three principles: Aid, Inform, and Empower. He insisted on local ownership, establishing a Honduran NGO to run the clinic. He believed in partnership, not paternalism. He saw potential where others saw poverty.
A Life Guided by Service
In Bob's final days with his own father, he asked if there was any advice to share. His father's response became Bob's guiding principle: "Always help others without expecting anything in return."
Bob lived these words every day. When asked about pride in his accomplishments, he would deflect, saying his reward came from the patients—the 80-year-old woman who saw her grandchildren for the first time after cataract surgery, the diabetic patients whose legs were saved from amputation, the man who walked out of the clinic saying, "I can hear the birds again."
As Bob once reflected, his vision may have started all of this, but as he always insisted, it took the hearts, hands, and generosity of countless volunteers and donors to make it real.
Standing at the Manos Amigas clinic shortly after its construction was completed in 2010.
Continuing the Journey
Bob often spoke about reaching a crossroads in life—moments when we must choose our path. Twenty-three years ago, at his own crossroads, he chose service. He found that helping others wasn't just about meeting their needs; it was about building relationships, fostering dignity, and empowering communities to care for their own.
Bob's life reminds us that one person's vision, when coupled with compassion and determination, can indeed change the world. He showed us that retirement can be a beginning, not an end. That seeing need is a call to action. That true service means empowering others to serve.
We will miss Bob's gentle leadership, his emotional stories about patients that would bring him to tears even years later, and his unwavering belief that we all have something to give. But his legacy lives on—in the clinic that bears witness to his vision, in the lives saved and transformed, and in each of us who were privileged to know him and work alongside him.
Thank you, Bob, for showing us the way. Thank you for choosing to serve at the crossroads. And thank you for inviting us to join you on this remarkable journey of service.
May you rest in peace, knowing that your vision continues, your legacy endures, and your father's advice lives on through all of us: to always help others without expecting anything in return.
With gratitude and love,
The Serving at the Crossroads Family
For those who wish to honor Bob's memory with an in-kind gift, a scholarship fund has been established in his and his wife’s name to continue his passion for empowering the next generation of Honduran healthcare providers. You can donate to the Dr. Robert & Pauline Sumner Dental Scholarship. Any gesture of remembrance—whether a donation, a prayer, or simply helping someone without expecting anything in return—would have touched Bob's heart.
Bob being welcomed by the entire clinic staff on his last visit in 2019.
