Clyde R. Renfroe Sr.

Clyde Russell Renfroe, 90, passed away Tuesday, February 13, 2018, surrounded by family at Santa Rosa Medical Center from complications with the flu. Renfroe, son of Katherine Cooper Renfroe, was born November 21, 1927, in Williams, AZ. He moved with his mother and family to the Pensacola area when he was 5, and lived in the area for the next 85 years, except for service during WWII in the US Navy, receiving an honorable discharge in June 1946.

Clyde was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Geraldine “Jerry” Ray Wooten, and son, Rodney Gene Renfroe, (Linda, deceased). He leaves one son, Clyde R. “Rusty” Renfroe, Jr. (Jane) of Franklin, NC, and one daughter, Dorothy Katherine Busby and her fiancé Mark Taylor of Pace, FL, 5 grandsons, and 3 great grandchildren. He is also survived by one sister, Marjorie R. Woody, of Pensacola.

Clyde’s career was in the wholesale grocery business and he retired from the Lewis Bear Co. of Pensacola. Groceries were always his life and he always knew where to find the weekly deals. He became known as “Big Daddy,” a moniker bestowed on him by his grandsons and a name that fit his tall frame. He was famous for his gumbo, his many tall tales, and his deep love of family and the beach and city of Pensacola. One of his cherished memories, and one his children never forgot, was the old days of camping, crabbing and bonfires on Pensacola Beach. To all who knew him, he was the standard to be met for living a fun, free life in the Florida panhandle.