Remembering Clarence…

Words fail me today as I try my best to write something worthy of the man who I knew professionally and personally. Clarence was one of the most helpful people I have met in this industry and he was just one of the plain nicest as well. He had a way of being critical without being hurtful. He had a charm that came through in his training sessions, emails and honest passionate views on how we Blind individuals live and work. And it is this down home attitude towards things I will miss the most.

Well that an his voice drifting to me across a crowded exhibit hall. Because no one sounded quite like Clarence.

The last time I saw him was this past February. He was jovial and excited about Window Eyes 7 and all the rest of the upcoming releases from G.W. Micro. When he was “on” Clarence had boundless energy. And he loved a good old fashioned debate with someone who may not have ever given Window Eyes a good look. It was shortly after this event when my team learned of his health. And I was hoping to see him at Convention if he was well enough. Sadly I learned today that Clarence had passed away on Saturday.

I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to Clarence’s family, friends and co-workers at G.W. Micro. I will miss him greatly and his voice will echo in my thoughts for many years to come.

Below is the email that is going out to some of the mailing lists..

“Subject: Passing of Clarence Whaley

On behalf of the entire staff of GW Micro, it is with deep sadness that we must announce the passing away of Clarence Whaley on Saturday morning, June 14. To read his obituary please go to

http://www.crawfordservices.com/index.cfm

choose the Obituaries link and search for Whaley.

Clarence worked with us at GW Micro for almost 10 years, serving as Sales Manager and also Director of Training. He worked at many trade shows, gave many presentations both in the US and abroad, trained many people in the use of Window-Eyes, the Braille Sense and Voice Sense notetakers plus other products. Clarence was always ready to explain how to do a certain task in an easy-going manner that no one else could match. Clarence always made people feel comfortable and at-ease and they had confidence in his abilities.

Clarence loved his Seeing Eye dogs and they assisted him wherever he traveled. He was active in the music business and enjoyed many types of songs although I am certain his favorite was the music from his hometown - Nashville, Tennessee.

For those of you who wish to express your feelings, thoughts and memories of Clarence, we've added a discussion topic on our blog web page

www.gwmicro.com/blog

titled Memories of Clarence Whaley. We encourage you to write something about Clarence to help others remember him and know him a little better. This could be anything from a phone conversation to an in-depth training session.
Clarence was very active and he touched a lot of lives with his service.

Clarence is survived by his wife Dranda as well as other family members. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as they work through this time of grief and mourning. He was a well-loved member of the GW Micro family and we will truly miss him.

Sincerely,


Dan, Doug and the entire GW Micro staff

GW Micro, Inc.
725 Airport North Office Park
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
ph 260-489-3671”
www.gwmicro.com