Former Sumpter Supervisor Johnny Vawters dies Feb. 27

Johnny Vawters, Jr., who served as Sumpter Township Supervisor for 10 years, died Feb. 27 at his home.
“He was the best supervisor Sumpter ever had,” said Sumpter Trustee Peggy Morgan, who served with him on the board over the years.
Supervisor Vawters was elected in 2004 and resigned as supervisor for health reasons in 2014 after being reelected twice to the leading position. He had been absent from the board table for more than a year following a stroke in October 2013. In his letter of resignation he said he was better but could not continue in the township’s leadership role.
Trustee Morgan said Vawters loved the job of supervisor and although it was part time, he would go into the office full time to help the community. He loved to stand in front of township hall and wave to the residents who drove by, she said.
The township board appointed Sumpter Treasurer John Morgan as supervisor in 2014 for the rest of Vawter’s term and Morgan was elected to the position in 2016. In the 2020 election, Morgan lost that position to Republican Tim Bowman.
“I think we all think a lot of Johnny Vawters,” said Treasurer Morgan in 2014. “He served the township well and unfortunately he got sick. We appreciate all he did.”
Vawters had been married to Pam for 30 years and was the father of 10 adult children. He had lived in Sumpter for 28 years.
“My past accomplishments brought about a change for unity among all of our elected board members and administrative staffs,” Vawters said in a statement to the Independent before the 2012 election.
After high school graduation, Vawters completed UAW Labor School courses where he was trained in the skills of arbitration, negotiation, and handling grievance proceedings, which are all needed to perfect people skills, he said.
He was a “people” person and avid problem solver. As supervisor, he would invite people to talk at length in the township meetings to get all of their concerns out into the open.
Often, residents who came in to the meeting angry with lots to say, left the meeting at the end, smiling and joking with the supervisor, satisfied that their concerns were heard.
Services will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 6, at O.H. Pye, III Funeral Home, 17600 Plymouth Rd., Detroit 48227, near Southfield Road. There will be live streaming on YouTube at O.H. Pye III Ch 2.
Strolling visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 5, at the funeral home, (313) 838-9770. Condolences may be sent to: www.pyefuneralhome.com .
Full obituary will be printed March 11.