Board Thread:Speculation House/@comment-24177652-20140316072117/@comment-10390252-20150213101129

Although I was an early adopter of the "Summer = Cinder as Anakin = Vader" theory, I'm no longer an advocate of it. Monty's statements ("Cinder is nobody's mother") and on-screen events both seem to contradict it pretty firmly.

That said, I do not believe it is certain (although it is more likely than not) that Summer is dead. Living people can have memorials if those who place the memorial either believe them dead or want everyone else to believe them dead. It is possible that Summer may make an appearance later on.

Either she will apologise to Taiyang, Yang and Ruby, saying it was necessary for the world to believe her dead. Alternatively, Ozpin will, in a dark tone of voice, say something like: "When that happened, the good woman who was your mother died. She's more Grimm than human now... Twisted and evil. So, what I told you was the truth; depending on your point of view."