Clinton Lonnie Humphries

He passed away December 28, 2016 in Arlington, Texas.

Clinton was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Humphries; son, Jeffery; parents, Dolphus and Roxie Humphries; brothers, Joe, Cranford, Olen, and John Preston; and sisters, Ruby Robbins and Irene Britton.

He is survived by his sister, Betty Silvernail of Melbourne Beach, Florida; son, Michael Clinton Humphries of Arlington, Texas; daughter, Sherry Barber of Garland, Texas; grandchildren, Cary Michael Humphries of Arlington, Texas, Michelle Hobson of Los Angles, California, Trish DeBord of Mt. Pleasant, Texas, and Becky Kohler (Plano, TX); great-grandchildren, Allison Puckett (Castle Rock, CO.), Ryan Humphries (Midland, TX), Jane Hobson (Los Angles, CA.), Emma and Mary Kohler of Plano, Texas, Aydan Loftis of McKinney, Texas, and Clint and Carson DeBord of Mt. Pleasant, Texas; great-great-grandchildren, Camden, Trevor, Bryson and Emmett Puckett of Castel Rock, Colorado; as well as many extended family members.

Clinton entered the service of the US Army in 1939 at Fort McClellan, Alabama. There he met and married Mary Hearn of Anniston, Alabama. After training in the Army Signal Corps in the 6th Armored Division of the 3rd Army under General George Patton, he was stationed in England to prepare for the liberation of Europe. After entering through Utah Beach several days after D-Day, he was involved in action that helped break through the French Hedge Rows and move through Europe with Major Gen. Grow and Brig. General Reid, to defeat the surrounding German Army and rescue American soldiers at Bastion, and still onward into the Battle of the Budge.

He survived due to the sacrifices of the mayor of a town in Belgium along with several other American soldiers after being over-run by the German Army. Several villagers gave up their lives for hiding the soldiers from the Germans.

He received the Bronze Star Medal from Brig. General George Reid for his actions. Then they continued in the battle pushing into Germany.

They took part in the Liberation of the notorious German Concentration Camp at Buchenwald, which was reenacted in the award winning documentary film “Band of Brothers”.

He returned to America to live with his wife Mary after the war (December 26, 2016 would have been their 76th anniversary). He then joined the new military branch of service called the United States Air Force, where he trained in communication and radar, serving in several locations and also back in Germany. In 1959 he was selected to be the Site Commander in Alaska on the “DEW” early warning defense network during the Cold War with Russia. Then in 1960, he was stationed in Riverside, California at March Air Force Base as Communication Officer for the Strategic Air Command (known as SAC). He retired from military service in 1962, after spending almost 23 years in service to his country.

Clinton moved his family to Richardson, Texas to be a communication system manager at Collins Radio on the Minute Man Missile Program. Next he went to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to manage the building of the American Space Program facility that would land a Man on the Moon. He later was the Quality Control Manager for the new Rockwell Collins Company in Richardson. He then retired, again, but took up training in heating and air conditioning system service, and was a teacher in Vocational and Technological High School classes in Duncanville, Texas and Birmingham, Alabama.

After many other adventures and projects, he returned to the DFW area in 1993 to retire at the Christian Care Center in Mesquite, TX.

He served as a Deacon in the Church of Christ in various locations and was an Elder at the Christian Care Center Church of Christ for over 18 years. Also, he has always been involved as a volunteer wherever he was living. He served the CCC Community along with his wife until 2011.

In addition to being a lifelong Amateur Radio Operator (HAM), he had a love for photography, travel, meeting other cultures, and building things for his wife. There were very few things that he could not do. All of his children and grandchildren inherited his love of photography.

Clinton was a friend and showed loving care for all who knew him. His strong, gentle resolve made him to be “OUR HERO”. He will be greatly missed.

A very special story about Clinton was during his service in World War II: as they were moving into northern France, he asked for permission to divert to the town of Arlon, France. His father, Dolphus, had fought with the Rainbow Division soldiers from Alabama in World War I, and told him that he had signed his name on the wall of a little church there. Clinton took an Army buddy with him and they found the little church. The priest showed them the wall, and right there was the name on the wall, “Dolphus D.C. Humphries, WWI, 1918.” After explaining who he was to the priest, he was allowed to sign his name under his father’s. As he was signing his name, he felt a calm presence, like his father was right there next to him in that little church, so far from home.

Visitation will be Monday, January 2, 2017 from 2:00 to 4:30 P.M., and will be followed by Funeral Services at 5:00 P.M., all at Grove Hill Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org.