Rebekah Summerlin Tan

Rebekah Summerlin Tan, 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, was received into the presence of God on July 15, 2026, after a life devoted to Christ and to the family she loved beyond measure. Rebekah died in the hospital surrounded by the family she had devoted her life to. She asked her husband, Dr. John Andrew Tan, to play her favorite worship music, including music by Martin Smith, whose band Delirious? was her favorite. Lastly, she asked that “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music be played on loop. John held her hand and gently stroked her hair. Their sons, Christian Daniel Tan and David John Tan, remained close beside her, both holding her other hand. Her sister Susan joined them by cellphone. For hours, they stayed with Rebekah and whispered how deeply they loved her. John held her hand until the end. Her mother-in-law, Lily Tan, and Osvaldo, a friend and elder at Summit Church, remained throughout the night, offering prayer and support. As “Goodness of God” continued to play, one of Rebekah’s ICU nurses told her and John that he had listened to the same song on his way to work, that he, too, was a Christian, and that he had once been a Christian musician. Rebekah’s expression showed that this comforted her. To her family, it was a sign that God had surrounded her with fellow Christians during the most difficult hours of her life. Early the next morning, as Rebekah lay unresponsive, one of the kinder doctors came to express her condolences. When she heard the song, she said that she loved it. Realizing that the Tan family shared her Christian faith, the doctor comforted John by assuring him that he would see Rebekah again in eternal life. She then prayed for Rebekah and her family. Rebekah was born on May 2, 1975, in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and grew up in nearby Mount Olive. She graduated from Southern Wayne High School and attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she studied music and Spanish and earned her B.A. in Spanish. Her faith in Jesus Christ began early and guided the whole course of her life. Rebekah committed her life to God while in seventh grade and remained steadfast in that commitment throughout every season that followed. Her faith was not simply something she professed. It shaped her character, her decisions, her marriage, her motherhood, and the way she treated others. She was fierce in defending what she believed, yet she was naturally introverted and most comfortable with family and trusted friends who shared her values. Rebekah taught music and Spanish in North Carolina and Williamsburg, Virginia, and later taught high school Spanish in Manassas Park. She cared deeply about her students and celebrated the many backgrounds represented in her classroom. Through the multicultural club she founded, she encouraged students to share their own cultures and to appreciate one another’s countries of origin, traditions, cuisines, languages, and experiences. While still teaching, Rebekah met John in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. From the beginning, they wanted to be together. John proposed in Old Town on the Friday of Manassas Park High School’s homecoming, shortly before the game. They were married on December 18, 2007, in Old Town in front of the Christmas tree at Town Hall. It was no accident that their life together as husband and wife began beneath the lights of a Christmas tree. Christmas was always their favorite time of year, filled with love, faith, wonder, cherished traditions, and the simple happiness of being together. During nearly 19 years of marriage, Rebekah called John her “best best friend,” the person with whom she shared everything. They genuinely preferred each other’s company and built a life together. After John founded CSLabs and began working primarily from home, they were together for most of each day throughout much of their marriage. What others might have considered too much time together was exactly the life they wanted. John never had to question Rebekah’s honesty, loyalty, or devotion. In all their years together, he never witnessed a selfish moment from her. She never knowingly did anything to hurt him, and she never gave him reason to doubt where her heart belonged. Even when a choice came at a cost to her, she consistently protected the unity and well-being of their family. Her devotion was freely given, priceless, and, to John, an unearned gift of grace. After God, Rebekah placed her husband and children at the center of her earthly life. Her love for Christ did not compete with her love for her family. It was the foundation of it. She loved John, Christian, and David as inseparable parts of herself, and she never faltered in that love. Rebekah left classroom teaching when she first became pregnant, choosing to raise and later homeschool Christian and David. She devoted herself to their education and, most importantly, to grounding them in faith in Christ. She taught them through lessons, example, prayer, personal sacrifice, and constant presence. To her family, she was an incomparable wife and mother. She also served as a company officer and Facility Security Officer for CSLabs, the company founded by John. In that role, she provided trusted and dependable support to both her husband and the company. Her honesty, judgment, discretion, and loyalty made her uniquely suited to responsibilities that required absolute trust. Unpretentious, honest, sweet, and kind, Rebekah was exactly who she appeared to be. With her, what you saw was what you got. She never pretended to be anyone other than herself. She never sought attention and never wanted to inconvenience anyone. At times, her concern for others led her to endure pain quietly rather than ask for help. She found happiness in simple comforts, especially pajamas, thick fuzzy socks, quiet time at home, and the company of the people and animals she loved. Rebekah had a gentle spirit and remained a wonderful child at heart. She loved Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando and delighted in sharing the happiness of her inner child with her family. These trips were not merely vacations to her. Her parents almost always rode with the family, so each trip became an opportunity to laugh, explore, create memories, and experience wonder together across generations. Rebekah was also an ardent Anglophile who loved British history, literature, and culture. She especially loved C. S. Lewis and the other members of the Inklings. One of her treasured adventures was a dream trip to the United Kingdom while seven months pregnant with David. During that journey, she visited Oxford and the Eagle and Child, the historic pub where Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and their fellow Inklings often gathered. The Tan family planned to return to the United Kingdom and travel farther now that the children were older, but her illness prevented them from taking that long-awaited trip. Rebekah loved dogs deeply. Sweet Pea, the family’s rescued Labrador mix from Misfit Hounds, was her forever shadow and the puppy love of her life. Sweet Pea followed her faithfully and brought her love, companionship, and comfort. Rebekah also dearly loved Mia, Sassy, and Sadie, the other beloved dogs in the Tan pack. The Tan pack rarely remained small for long and usually included four or five dogs. Whenever the family lost one of their dogs and John was overwhelmed by grief, Rebekah remained strong for him and quietly carried the practical burdens that followed. Her sister, Susan Eason, was Rebekah’s best friend and lifelong confidante. Beth, her other best friend, had known Rebekah since grade school and had grown up alongside her. Rebekah treasured enduring relationships built on trust, loyalty, shared experience, and love. Two words that described Rebekah well were Christian and patriot. She loved her country and was deeply proud of her nieces and nephews for their service to the United States. Her pride was equal to her concern for their safety, which reflected both her patriotism and the protective love she felt for her extended family. In a transient and fast-paced region, Rebekah struggled for years to find a church that remained true to her Christian convictions while also being a place where her family could feel welcome and at home. About a year before her death, she found that place at Summit Church. Although her time there was much too brief, Summit became a church home she genuinely loved. Its people, worship, fellowship, and ministry helped sustain her during the final year of her life. Rebekah is survived by her beloved husband, Dr. John Andrew Tan; their sons, Christian Daniel Tan and David John Tan; her mother, Maxine Teachey Summerlin; her sister, Susan Eason; her brother, Jay Summerlin; and beloved nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, John Richard Summerlin, who died only one month before her. The memorial will be held at Summit Church, 7719 Fullerton Road, Springfield, Virginia 22153, on Saturday, August 8, 2026. The celebration of Rebekah’s life will begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception and fellowship. Family and friends will depart from Summit Church at 1:00 p.m. for interment at 1:30 p.m. at Mount Comfort Cemetery, 6600 South Kings Highway, Alexandria, Virginia 22306. The symbolism of flowers is welcome, but those preferring to make a memorial contribution may donate to Misfit Hounds (www.misfithounds.org), Summit Church (www.summitchurchdc.com), or an organization that supports United States veterans. Rebekah’s life was defined by faith and love. She was a devoted follower of Christ, a faithful wife, a loving mother, a cherished daughter and sister, a trusted friend, a teacher, and a gentle caretaker of both people and animals. Her family grieves her absence with immeasurable sorrow, but not without hope. They trust that the Savior she loved from her youth and followed throughout her life has welcomed her home. Her love remains woven into the lives of John, Christian, and David. She was, is, and always will be their angel and North Star.

Rebekah Summerlin Tan

May 2, 1975 - July 15, 2026