Clarence Micheal McGee was born on August 13, 1957, to Robert and Carrie (Washington) McGee in Memphis, Tennessee. He spent most of his youth growing up in Chicago, Illinois. His love for helping others began at this early age – Clarence spent a lot of his time at the Boys & Girls Club. Being the oldest of eight children in his family, Clarence quickly fell into the role of protector. He watched diligently over his siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends; Clarence treated every person he met as if they were his own family. He attended high school at the Austin Prep School in Chicago, graduating in June 1975. In his earlier adulthood, Clarence moved to North Dakota and entered into the United States Air Force for a short period of time. While in North Dakota, his daughter Misty was born in 1985, where he was also a step father to her siblings Craig, Mary, and LeAnn. Later in 1990, his daughter Amanda was born. Clarence later continued his education by attending school at the Wilmar Community College in Wilmar, Minnesota, the Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Canby, Minnesota, and later attending the University of Minnesota in Waseca, where he graduated in December of 1991 with a degree in Ag Business and Agronomy. It was during his time in Waseca, Minnesota, that Clarence met the love of his life, Lori Eischens. After graduating college, Clarence and Lori moved all around together, living in various cities and working various jobs. They thoroughly enjoyed living life together.
On October 4, 1997, Clarence and Lori were united in marriage at St. Leo Catholic Church in Pipestone, Minnesota. After getting married, the couple moved to Pipestone where they lived for four years and welcomed two children; Aneisha and Anthony. They then relocated to Prescott, Wisconsin and then River Falls, Wisconsin from 2001 to 2005, during this time they had their third child, Arinn. Following Arinn’s arrival, the family moved back to Pipestone, settling in for the long haul. Throughout his life, Clarence worked many jobs and wore many hats. Some of the most notable places he worked was the Pipestone Rec. Center, helping with the Summertime Fun Program and Hershey Track; he also worked as a Peer Recovery Specialist at New Life Treatment Center, in Woodstock, Minnesota, a job that led to him becoming an Overdose Response Coordinator for the surrounding counties. He was heavily involved in the AA/NA community, he provided unwavering support and love to those who needed it the most.
He was also a part of the Sioux Falls Canaries family – the Birdcage was his home away from home. He could also be found working at the Veteran’s Hospital in Sioux Falls, helping the Garretson High School with Lunchtime Solutions, and working at the Sanford Sports Complex and the Pentagon. He quickly became a familiar face to baseball fans, always making sure everyone knew to “Get your popcorn ready!”
In the rare occurrences when Clarence wasn’t working, he could usually be found either watching sports, working out, or reading. Above all, Clarence valued his family. He was most proud of his children and grandchildren – always bragging about them when he got the chance! He simply adored kids and found great joy in working with children of all ages. Kids always looked up to him as a role model. Clarence could walk into a room full of strangers and walk out with new friends. He was always smiling and joking around, you could always hear him coming by the change jingling in his pockets. Clarence passed unexpectedly on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the young age of 66 years, 11 months and 14 days. During his time on earth, Clarence touched countless lives, leaving a lasting impact on anyone who had the privilege of knowing him. His kind, loving presence, and his booming laughter will be deeply missed.
Clarence is survived by his wife of 27 years, Lori McGee of Pipestone, Minnesota; his children, LeAnn Littleghost of Dawson, Minnesota, Misty McGee of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Amanda Hofer of Owatonna, Minnesota, Aneisha McGee of Bloomington, Minnesota, Anthony (fiancé Macy Burge) McGee of Brooklyn, New York and Arinn McGee of Pipestone; siblings, Patricia McGee, Shawatiki McGee, LaShun McGee, and Muneca McGee, all of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; grandchildren, LaKeria McGee, Michael McGowan, Jr., Zahara McGee and Zanyia McGee; step grandchildren, Yuriah, Leondro, Leovany, LeShawn, LeAnn, JJ and Yazmin; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and sisters- and brothers-in-law. Clarence was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Carrie McGee; sisters, Anita McGee and Diane Miller; brother, Anthony McGee; step-children, Craig Littleghost and Mary Littleghost; his father- and mother-in-law, Sil and Sally Eischens; and so many more loved ones.
In Clarence’s words… Peace and Chicken Grease!
