Clarence Clifton Simpson II

Clarence Clifton (“Hunky”) Simpson II died peacefully on January 12, 2025, at the age of 81 with his family by his side. Clarence was born in San Antonio to Clarence C. (“Buddy”) Simpson and Mary (Christopher) Simpson. He was a proud fourth-generation native of San Antonio and a veritable library of San Antonio lore.

Clarence graduated from St. Ann School and Central Catholic H.S. (1961), and was an active participant in both schools’ alumni organizations, helping to plan several successful reunions including a 60th reunion a few years ago.

In 1963, Clarence married Kay Ellen Bragg. They have been married for over 61 years. The two remained in San Antonio, except for a brief five-year adventure to California in the late 1980s, which was quickly corrected.

Clarence began his career working as salesman for his father’s neon sign company, Alamo Neon. He realized that many new customers were buying signs because they had moved to new locations and he got interested in site acquisition and development. He got his Real Estate Broker’s License in 1972 and maintained it for the next 50 years.

In 1974, Clarence and his real estate partner Frank Spellman were awarded a contract from the Archdiocese of San Antonio to survey and appraise all of its real estate holdings (including the San Antonio missions), a massive project that combined his love of Texas history and his affinity for real estate.

In 1975, Clarence went to work for Church’s Fried Chicken as their first National Manager, then National Director of Real Estate, a job that would send him to virtually every major city in the U.S. to acquire sites. He later served similar roles for National Convenience Stores, BandiTree Inc. (Po’ Folks Restaurants), Foodmaker Corp. (Jack In The Box), Brinker International (Chili’s and Macaroni Grill), Rally’s Hamburgers, and many more. He served as President and Vice President of the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives. He continued to work and support site acquisition for a number of companies as Simpson Commercial Realty, consulting and mentoring a new generation of site development executives.

Clarence was actively involved in politics throughout his life. He was a delegate to the 1968 and 1970 State Democratic Conventions and was elected Chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party in 1972 at age 28. He served on the Committee to Elect Dolph Briscoe for Governor campaign in 1972 and continued to support candidates and campaigns for many years.

For several decades Clarence enjoyed researching his family history and became a frequent correspondent with many “cousins” discovered through genealogy research. He enjoyed pursuing his genealogy hobby with his children. His family tree on Ancestry.com includes over 10,000 names, and his daughter Laura has become the Genealogy Librarian at the Montgomery County Genealogy Library in Conroe. He proudly displayed his certificates from the National Sons of the Spanish American War Veterans, and the Texas State Genealogical Society for First Families and Pioneers of West Texas.

Clarence was a car lover and always had a car project in progress. Some of his oldest friendships began with those whom he drove and (allegedly) raced with on Austin Highway in the late 1950s. He was also a fan and connoisseur of old movies (especially westerns and film noir), television (especially any police or detective show), and late-night talk shows. He was a frequent commenter on the “Classic San Antonio: 1950-1999” Facebook group.

In 2023 he completed the sale of a 47-acre parcel of land that had been in his family for over a century to the U.S. National Park Service. The land is now part of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Nature Conservancy of Texas.

Clarence was known for his sense of humor and as a loyal friend. While records were not kept, he is purportedly the inventor of the “Dad Joke.”

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Susanne Hinds, and his brother-in-law Jerry Bragg. He is survived by his wife, Kay Simpson; children Laura Politte (Glen) and Clarence C. (“Cliff”) Simpson III (Kate); and grandchildren Jacob Simpson, Emily Sendukas, MD (Casen), Riley Simpson, Natalie Sendukas Foster (Chesley), and Benjamin Sendukas. He is also survived by his niece, Julia Lawrence, and several great-nieces and -nephews.

If you feel inclined to make a donation in his memory, please consider donating to the Nature Conservancy of San Antonio. https://preserve.nature.org/page/80429/donate/1?engrid_session=NWM1MGUxODMtMjQxZi00MzM3LTkwMDEtY2QyNmUwNDdkNWRifDE3MzY4ODI5MTN8MTczNjg4Mjk4N3w1fGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb218fGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5hdHVyZS5vcmd8

The visitation and rosary service will be, Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 5:30 pm (Rosary at 7:00 pm)

Porter Loring Mortuary, 1101 McCullough Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212. The funeral mass, Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 11:00 am, St. Anthony de Padua Catholic Church, 102 Lorenz Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209. Interment and graveside service is on, Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 12:30 pm, at Sunset Memorial Park, 1701 Austin Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78218.