Clarence was born October 20, 1920 in Abbevile, GA to his beloved parents, Charlie McDuffie and Elizabeth Wilcox McDuffie. Clarence grew up attending school in the Wilcox County School District. He was the middle child having two siblings, Clara Belle and Charlie Mae McDuffie. Clarence would later be reared by his grandmother, Classy Wilcox, where they later moved to Fitzgerald, GA and spent most of his adolescent years there. This is where he worked as a laborer in many different capacities including the cotton fields of Georgia.
His family would later move to Clermont, FL where soon after he was drafted into the United States Army serving as a Long Shoreman who performed duties in the 538th Port Company based out of Fort McPherson, GA deployed into the Saipan Islands loading and unloading ships. As African Americans, they were not allowed to participate in active duty work, rather they were an infantry to reinforce supply. However, many times encountering deadly warfare through ambushes.
Clarence served in the army for two years from January 26, 1943 until November 28, 1945 receiving World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, and a Bronze Star.
Upon returning home to Florida from the war where he met and married Arminda Mildred Grace Walker and moved from Clermont, FL to Fort Pierce, FL. Clarence and Grace would have six children from their union.
Grace having a child, Sandra L. Taylor, from a previous marriage, reared their children in Saint Lucie County. Clarence would work in the fruit industry employed by Larry Lee & Sons for several years before retiring. Clarence was very active in the Christian faith in the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ where he sang and traveled abroad with the Rainbow Spiritual and the Gospel Satellites as lead singer. Clarence would lose his beloved Grace in April of 2019 as she succumbed to illness. As a result, this changed his life after 69 years of marriage.
On December 27, 2021, Clarence answered the call of his Beloved Savior, Jesus Christ. While he slept, he transitioned from earth to glory.
Clarence was preceded in death by his loving wife Arminda Grace McDuffie; father, Charlie McDuffie; mother, Elizabeth McDuffie; sisters, Clara Belle Thomas and Charlie Mae McDuffie; and a son, Clarence McDuffie, Jr.
He leaves to mourn his seven children, Sandra L. Taylor, Edna L. Woodard, Crystal D. Smith, Doris L. Kennedy(Wayne Kennedy), Johnnie C. McDuffie, Sharon McDuffie Brown(Dr. Andrew Brown), Julius McDuffie; 18 grandchildren; and a host of great grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and sorrowing friends who will miss him dearly.
Public visitation for Clarence McDuffie will take place on Friday, January 7, 2022 from 4:00pm-7:00pm at Stone Brothers Funeral Home in Fort Pierce, FL. Funeral services will convene on Saturday, January 8, 2022 at Liberty, Truth, & Deliverance Tabernacle of God in Fort Pierce, FL beginning at 11:00am. Burial will immediately follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.
Although many venues have opened and the restrictions of COVID-19 have been relaxed, we at Stone Brothers Funeral Homes are still enforcing the guidelines set forth by the CDC and FDOH to protect our families and our staff. We ask that you respect this, as it could very well save your life. We also ask that you acknowledge and execute the 6 feet social distancing guidelines as well.
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