Clarence L. Garrison

Clarence L. Garrison, age 73, was called home to be with his Heavenly Father on July 18, 2026. He was born on October 15, 1952, in Washington, D.C., to his late parents, Clyde Chase and Wilda Pauline Garrison.

Clarence is survived by his older brother, John (sister-in-law Diane), and his younger brother, Mark. He is also survived by his two nieces, Kimberly Lane (husband Christopher) and Kristen Reece (husband Matthew and son Logan). His surviving cousins include Karol Messick (wife Karen and son Kirk), Sharon Lamb (husband William), Mary Morris (husband Michael), and Nancy Miller (husband Craig). He is also survived by his stepdaughter, Cay Warren (husband Dan).

As a teenager, Clarence and his mother worked together at a pet shop in Arlington, Virginia. The entire Garrison family shared a love of animals, and Clarence owned and cherished dogs throughout his life.

In 1971, Clarence graduated from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, beginning his journey toward Madison College in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In 1972, a group of Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity brothers from Chowan College transferred to Madison College in Harrisonburg. Clarence joined the pledge class in the spring of 1973 and was later initiated into the fraternity.

His TKE brothers described Clarence as quiet and calm, never pushy, but hardworking. His leadership qualities eventually emerged and surprised those around him. TKE brothers recalled Clarence's ability to step into leadership roles. Clarence became the Hegernon, a Greek word meaning “trainer of the new pledges.” Later, he volunteered to serve as the house manager of the Joshua Wilton House, which served as their fraternity house.

The TKE life was very important to Clarence. He met many people who became lifelong friends. Some of Clarence’s most lasting friendships began during his years with TKE. He remained close to his fraternity brothers throughout the years. Their friendship went far beyond their college days, as they traveled together and shared many memorable occasions. These friendships endured through the years and were an important part of Clarence’s life.

After leaving Madison, Clarence moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he started a career with Durkee Foods. He was responsible for keeping military commissaries throughout Virginia and North Carolina stocked with Durkee products. During those years, Clarence knew he wanted to complete his college degree, so he attended night classes while continuing to work. In 1996, he graduated from Virginia Wesleyan College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Clarence later worked with his brother Mark to open Stanley Adams Stationery in Virginia Beach, where he took on the responsibility of running the store and overseeing its day-to-day operations.

Later in life, Clarence went on to obtain his real estate license and worked for Coldwell Banker. He was always looking for ways to move forward.

Clarence L. Garrison was a quiet, endearing, generous, and strong man who will be remembered by those who knew and loved him. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Virginia Beach SPCA.

Please join us for a celebration of Clarence’s life at Rosewood-Kellum Funeral Home on August 24, 2026 at 11:00 am. A reception will immediately follow the service.