Clarence R. Willard

Clarence Willard, 78, of Lakeland, passed away on February 25, 2018. He is survived by his loving wife, Marie; children Ronald, Dawn, Daniel, Cheryl, and John; brothers Howard, Donald, Bob, John and two sisters, Leola and Mary. He raised his Grandson, Justin Willard as a son. He has many nieces and nephews with whom he had a special relationship. He was loved richly by his family and his in-laws.

Clarence was born in Delhi, Iowa and moved to Massachusetts after serving in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1959-1964. He was a Boilermaker from the 50’s to the 80’s building large power plants and boilers. He moved to Lakeland in 2006 and became a major volunteer with many local organizations. He worked tirelessly with his community, the local police, the Attorney’s General office, and the Polk Sheriff’s Department. He enjoyed golfing and many other activities with friends.
Clarence took up woodworking and made hundreds of toys for children in need. His most recent venture was pen-making, which he enjoyed sharing with his friends and family.

The end of Clarence’s life was filled with serious illness and pain; however, he never complained. His strength is with God and family; and he looked forward to his new body in Heaven.

The viewing will be at Lakeland Funeral Home located at 2125 S. Bartow Hwy, on Thursday evening from 5-7 pm. A funeral will be held at Parkview Baptist Church, 509 Parkview Place, Friday at 10 am, with interment in the Florida National Cemetery.

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