Obituary of Warren A. Cummings

Warren A. Cummings went home to be with his Lord and Savior, whom he loved on September 20, 2024 at home.  He was born January 14, 1940 in Winchester, Ma. to the late John and Marjorie (Peterson) Cummings and was predeceased by his brother David, all of Woburn.

  Warren lived his whole life in Woburn, as did his ancestors since the 1700’s. The now Woburn natives call it “the heart beat of America.”

   Warren graduated from Christian High School in Cambridge which is now Lexington Christian Academy in Lexington.  He then went on and graduated from Stockbridge School of Agriculture, U.Mass Amherst and then the Rittner School of Floral Design as his family owned Cummings the Florist in Woburn, with greenhouses.  Warren was more interested in the growing side, the greenhouses, than the retail end.  When he got his driver’s license at age sixteen, his father would send him out on floral deliveries at busy holiday times.  At this time, Burlington was still rather rural and some streets were not paved nor had street signs.  He’d have to stop at the police station, then a tiny building, to ask for directions.

   Warren next went into the National Guard and to Ft. Dx, N.J. and served in the National Guard. In 1962 he purchased a greenhouse complex on Wyman St. Woburn where he grew carnations for many years and sold them wholesale in at the Boston Flower Exchange.

  On October 20, 1962 he married Elaine Smith of Wellesley and they lived on Wyman St for the next over 53 years, raising their four children there.  

   After many greenhouses in Woburn had to close down, Warren then went into building houses, including Hammond Place in Woburn.  In his youth he grew pumpkins on this piece of land and had a small business with them.  He loved his backhoe and did many jobs working with that.  He had a side business with boat storage and did snow plowing. Warren always worked for himself.

    He was truly a people person and never met a stranger.  Money wasn’t important to him, it was all about people and he seemed to know everyone everywhere he went and they him.  He had a wide circle of friends in all walks of life.  He especially loved his family and was truly dedicated to them.  His children as adults have attested that they “had the best childhood.”  And several of their friends as adults have said they had wished that he had been their father.   

   When Warren’s children were young he’d always be taking them and their friends too, to playgrounds everywhere.  He’d say, I wonder if the rich kids have been here and when they weren’t looking, he’d drop coins onto the ground. The kids would find them and he’d say, I think we have enough to go to the candy store or for ice cream & off they all went. 

   Warren was known as Wonka, starting with a young nephew who tried to say Uncle Warren and it came out Ah-Wonka.  Everyone laughed. Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was out at the time.  The name stuck.  His grandchildren have always called him Wonka too, as well as others.

   He loved growing up summers on Mousam Lake in Maine at his grandparents’ log cabin, which as an adult became his.  He was the happiest spending time there.  In his late teens he formed a water ski club.  He and 5 friends skied in a pyramid.  He had a ski jump built and it was out in front of the log cabin.  He’d melt paraffin in a pail on the stove & mop onto the ramp to make slick for their jumps.  These five would go to other lakes and put on water ski shows.  When his children were young he waterskied with them on his shoulders.  He loved his jet ski and his jet boat with the big spray.  He gave kids around the lake rides.  Warren also loved his hammock very much.  He was on the board of directors of the Mousam Lake Region Assoc. for many years and served as president for several.

   Warren loved old cars and had many over the years, including his 1922 Model T Ford Centerdoor. He belonged to the Model T Ford Club of America and the Downeast Maine chapter.  He and Elaine and daughter Janet went on many week long tours over the years along with dozens of other Model T folks and had many friends in the club.  

   He was involved in the Mary P.C. Cummings Park in Burlington and especially with the Burlington R.C. Flyers, mowing their runways weekly and making friends with these men in the club.

  His hobby was splitting wood.  He was obsessed doing it!  He split at home and at the lake also.

   Warren loved the Lord and his church family too. As a baby he was brought to the Scandinavian Evangelical Free Church on Montvale Ave. Woburn, where his maternal grandparents began attending when they migrated from Sweden in the late 1800’s.  This church later changed its name to The Church of the Open Bible and moved to Burlington.  Warren and Elaine were the 1st couple to be married in this new church building at Winn and Wyman Streets.  He held many positions at the church over the years, including bus driver, visitation committee, treasurer, head usher for many years and being a people person he loved greeting all who entered; deacon, elder, & he’d plow the church parking lot after a snow storm. 

   Warren was a coffee shop person both at home and in Maine. He went every morning except Sundays to meet and chat with the locals, but before leaving for many years he always watched on TV Through the Bible with Les Feldick, who was an excellent Bible teacher & Warren never missed five days a week to study God’s word with this program.  Recently he watched on the computer at another time of day when he could no longer go to the coffee shops.

   Warren was always known for his kindness and generosity.

In addition to his wife, Elaine, he leaves his children, Lois (Daniel) Frasier of Winchester, Carolyn (Steven) Mudge of Marshfield, Nathan (Sara) Cummings of Woburn, Janet Cummings of Woburn. Grandchildren Dawson (Savannah) Frasier of N.C., Paige Frasier of Cambridge, Laura Frasier of Wilmington and fiancé Joshua Levine, Hannah Mudge of CO. and fiancé Elijah Williams, Griffin Mudge of Marshfield, Victoria Cummings of Charlestown, Jarred Cummings of Woburn. And two Great grandchildren, Jack and Lucy.

A memorial service will be held on October 5, 10:30 am at The Church of the Open Bible, Burlington Ma.  The burial is private. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Dublin Christian Academy 106 Page Rd. Dublin, NH 03444. Arrangements by Edward Sullivan Funeral Home Burlington Ma.