William Alfred Clemmer

William A. (Bill) Clemmer, 86, of Troy, Michigan, passed away on June 6, 2019. A man of great faith, he

was secure in his final destination in the presence of Christ eternally. A celebration of life service will be

held at 11 AM on Saturday, June 29, at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, MI. There will be a

reception at the church after the service.

Bill was born on March 14, 1933, in Hong Kong, China, to missionary parents, The Rev. Raymond and

Mrs. Hazel Clemmer. He lived in mainland China until he was six years old when his family left China at

the onset of WWII. The family then settled in Nyack, NY, until he was 12 when his parents returned to

overseas missionary service in the Philippines, while Bill lived with a family in southern California. Bill

was a smart young man, skipping the 3rd and 12th grades and gained acceptance into Houghton College,

Houghton, NY, a year early. He spent two years at Houghton and an additional two years at St. Paul Bible

College in Minnesota before entering the Army in 1955, where he served at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. He

received an honorable discharge from the Army, and went to work with The Navigators as well as

Christianity Today magazine in Washington, D.C.

It was in Washington, D.C. that Bill met Shirley Ruleman, who became the love of his life. They were

married June 15, 1958 and moved to Colorado Springs to live and work at The Navigator headquarters,

spending their first year of marriage living in the castle at Glen Eyrie. After fully preparing for missionary

service in the Philippines—following in his parents’ footsteps—he was unable to go due to a

misdiagnosed medical condition. He decided to complete his degree instead at San Francisco State.

Their daughter Kelly (KC), was born in San Francisco. Moving back to Washington, D.C., he worked for

3M Company, and their son, Brett, was born.

Entering the financial services marketplace in 1970, Bill worked for a handful of firms in Boston, New

York City, and Indianapolis over a successful 30-year career. He pioneered new products including the

variable annuity and defined contribution retirement plans for corporations, as well as helping launch a

new mutual fund family. During his career he built several successful national mutual fund sales teams,

investing in his employees both personally and professionally. There were many who worked for him in

multiple companies due to the personal relationships and camaraderie he developed on his teams. His

reputation in the industry as a man of faith and integrity was well known.

Even after his “retirement” and well into his 70s, Bill continued working helping companies develop

websites. He embraced technology, as his ever-present bluetooth earpiece and cell phone would attest.

Bill’s time in the secular marketplace was marked by extensive involvement in the local church, including

running a large visitation and evangelism ministry, serving as a Sunday School teacher, small group and

Bible study leader, and elder. He concluded his professional career working with his son at Man in the

Mirror, a ministry dedicated to helping churches reach and disciple men more effectively.

Bill and Shirley moved to Michigan in 2010 and became involved at Christ Church Cranbrook. Bill

served as a member of the Vestry and was involved in several church-based ministries including the

Stewardship Committee, SOS, Lay Visitors, Eucharistic Ministers and the Healing Ministry. His willingness

to do whatever was necessary will be greatly missed.

Bill decided to give his life to Christ at 8 years old. He loved Scripture, an attribute he picked up from his

missionary parents and the influence of the Navigators. As a young man he developed an early morning

discipline of prayer, devotions and Bible study. He memorized hundreds of passages and would often

refer to them when helping friends and family through difficult issues. He underlined and made so many

notations in his Bible that he had to replace it every few years. This spiritual discipline continued until his

last days.

In addition to his faith in Jesus Christ, Bill’s greatest joy was his family. He is survived by his wife, Shirley,

to whom he was married for 9 days shy of 61 years; two children—Kelly “KC” (Mel) Carpenter, also of

Troy, MI, and Brett (Kimberly) Clemmer of the greater Orlando area, FL; five grandchildren—Ethan

Carpenter, Shannon Strathman (née Carpenter), Audrey Carpenter, Cassidy Clemmer, and Jackson

(Martha) Clemmer; four great grandchildren; and two sisters—Vera Mae Robinson and Josephine Tillitz.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s memory may be sent to Man in the Mirror, 1375 State Road 436,

Casselberry, FL 32707, or online at www.maninthemirror.org/billclemmer ; or to Christ Church

Cranbrook, 470 Church Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304.