Clarence Walter Maxcy

Clarence Walter “C.W.” Maxcy, 89, was called to join his Lord on Wednesday the 6th of May 2015, in Houston. Born on the 2nd of December 1925, in Willis Point, Texas to Esther Malvina Lane Maxcy and James Walter Grenade Maxcy, he was preceded in death by siblings Edward, Mattie, Flossie, Natalie, Evie, and Leon.

He graduated from the University of Houston and had a diverse career in railroad transportation, real estate, and retail sales. For nine years following retirement he entertained children with wisdom dressed in humor as a school bus driver. His life’s passion was his love and service to family and Second Baptist Church, where he was a member for sixty-nine years.

He married his first great love, Patricia Witten, in 1948 and had five children: Melissa, Bill, Meredith, Lee, and Lane (died 2003). Patricia died in 1999 and love found C.W. again in a fifteen year marriage to Dorothy Thomas, adding her two children, Donna and Ed, to the circle of his parenting. He was beloved father-in-law to Jim, Sheila, and Charlotte, grandfather to Tricia, Ashley (died 2013), Leslie, Patrick, Andrew, Brooke, Ben, and Chad; great-grandfather to Meghan, Erin, and Mellie. He was a loving caregiver to his mother-in-law Susan Witten and surrogate father to Merry Lynne Warfel and Marsa McKee.

Service to Second Baptist Church included long tenure as Deacon, Director of Training Union, and Director of Triple L.

C.W. was profoundly positive, that incandescent person with a deeply authentic capacity for joy and a musically infectious laugh. He thrived in the company of others and lifted up all who were privileged to know him. Family and friends lined up to have a cappuccino and conversations with him. His powerful radiating love flowed out of him and onto all in his path. He understood the poet’s truth: “Practice kindness all day to everybody, and you will realize you’re already in heaven now.”

Friends and family are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Sunday, the 10th of May, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service celebrating C.W.’s life is to be conducted at one o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 11th of May, in the sanctuary of Second Baptist Church, 6400 Woodway Drive in Houston, where Dr. H. Edwin Young, Senior Pastor, is to officiate.

Prior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in his name be directed to Second Baptist Church for Beach Retreat Scholarships or to the Missions Fund.

C.W. would ask that everyone find someone who needs a hug and a reminder to “walk on the sunny side of the street” in his memory.