Clarence Easterly Kettler

On Monday, April 16, Clarence E. Kettler of Washington, DC and Annapolis, MD passed away peacefully after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer. His wife Sarah and several of his children were with him.

Born and raised in Washington, Clarence was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, class of 1947. He attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he ran track, served as business editor of the yearbook, and was a member of the Theta Chi fraternity. He received a BA in Economics in 1951 and remained an obsessive lifelong “Wolverine.”

In 1952 Clarence founded the real estate development company, Kettler Brothers, Inc. (KBI) with his older brothers Charlie and Milton and their brother-in-law Bill Forlines. Over the course of his career, Clarence built more than 20,000 homes including the flagship new town, Montgomery Village, MD, and numerous communities in Northern Virginia, Montgomery County, Washington, DC, Kent Island, MD, and Hidden Valley, PA.

Among his many civic accomplishments, Clarence co-founded the Bethesda Boy’s Club, was a founding member of Concord/St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Bethesda, and provided the impetus and seed money for the Walt Whitman High School Crew Team. He was particularly committed to Children’s Hospital National Medical Center. Through his efforts, the Annual Washington Senator’s Baseball Game and Harden and Weaver Golf Tournament raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for CHNMC. Once named Children’s “Man of the Year,” he was a past member of the Hospital’s board of trustees and a current member of the emeritus board.

A man of many hobbies and myriad interests, Clarence was an avid “Go Blue!” fan as well as an accomplished photographer, skier, water skier, rower, boater, fisherman, and self-taught astronomer. He loved the Chesapeake Bay and retired full time to his home in Bay Ridge in 2010. Despite his curiosity and creativity, Clarence preferred things simple and familiar. He often remarked he got more pleasure admiring the sunset from his deck chair than touring the world’s great sites.

In addition to Sarah Valente, his wife of 27 years, Clarence is survived by Elizabeth Kettler, his nine children – Richard (Jane), Alan, Thomas, James (Naomi), Cathleen, Theresa (Charles), Patricia (Andrew), Clair, and Brooke – 14 grandchildren, numerous nieces and nephews, and a host of cherished friends.

The family will be receiving visitors at Gawler’s Funeral Home, 5130 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, on Saturday, April 21, 3-7pm, and on Sunday, April 22, 2-4pm and 6-8pm. Funeral services will be held at Metropolitan Memorial Church, Nebraska Avenue, NW on Monday, April 23 at 11 am, with burial to follow at Rock Creek Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial gifts be directed to support the pancreatic cancer research of Dr. Zeshaan Rasheed. Please make checks payable to The Johns Hopkins University, indicating the gift is in memory of Clarence Kettler. Mail to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, 100 North Charles Street, Suite 234, Baltimore, MD 21201.”

All are welcome to attend a reception at Columbia Country Club 7000 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase, MD 20815 following the graveside service.