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Obituary for William "Dick" Clemence
William “Dick” Clemence died November 11, 2021 at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac. He was 86 years old. Dick was born on December 2, 1934 in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan to parents, Claudine and William Clemence.
A 1951 graduate of Lincoln High School, Ferndale, Michigan, Dick went on to work for Chrysler Corporation. He married the love of his life, Sylvia “Mickey” Hemming on April 12, 1957 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Royal Oak. The couple moved to Germany for two years while he proudly served in the United States Army. He was honorably discharged in 1959.
After returning home from Germany, Dick and Mickey bought a house in Birmingham and lived next door to the founder of the Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors, Ed and Rosemary Lynch. Dick loved to build and fly model airplanes and was often recruited by the neighborhood kids into flying lessons and plane building activities.
After his service in the Army, Dick went to work for General Motors for several years working in the photographic department. He then completed a total career change into sales. For the next 40 years, Dick worked for a number of companies selling electronics (TV tubes, TV antennas, satellite dishes and finally wholesale electronic components). In his forties, he decided to he wanted to go to college and completed an Associate’s Degree in business from Oakland Community College.
In life, Mickey experienced it all. Marriage to Dick, living in a foreign country, traveling the world, having a career and raising a family. She loved a good game of cards, spending time at social gatherings and staying as busy as she could. Dick and Mickey had three sons: Michael, Mark and Matthew.
Dick was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed coaching baseball and football. The Detroit Lions will forever be his team. He and his sons and grandsons held Sunday afternoons in the Fall sacred to the pastime of watching the Lions play. Despite their losing ways, Dick always enjoyed the Lions games and the time spent with the boys.
Dick and Mickey traveled the world – Europe, Australia, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Dick thoroughly enjoyed spending time at the family cottage on Wixom Lake in mid-Michigan and had a passion for boating. He especially enjoyed the annual “boys weekend” in the Fall of every year when it was time to close up the cottage for the year.
After retirement, Dick and Mickey moved to Waterford Township in 2002. While retired, Dick worked on all three of his sons’ homes on building, re-modeling and repair projects. He was a jack-of-all-trades and always found a way to get a project completed and looking great. He was also very active in his neighborhood, helping neighbors with home projects or with advice on how to do something.
Whether you knew him by Dad, Uncle Dick, Richard or Mr. C, please know that he enjoyed being with everyone. Family was very important to him and he cherished being a husband, father, uncle, son-in-law and grandfather. His life was full of love – married 62 years to Mickey, three sons, and nine grandchildren. Dick was a special person. Always upbeat. Always steady. Always there if you needed him. He will be missed.
He is survived by his sons, Michael (Kris), Mark (Alison), and Matthew (Angela). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Andrew (Margaret), Reilly, Robert, J.D. (Rachael), Rick, Samantha (Christopher) Saikalis, Ben (Lea), Tyler, Jenna, and Charlotte. Dick is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Sylvia “Mickey” and his sister, Nancy Gillespie.
A Funeral Service will be at Lynch & Sons Funeral Home, 1368 N. Crooks Road (between 14-15 Mile Rds.) on Monday, November 15, 2021 at 1pm. Friends may visit beginning at 11am.
