|
In Memoriam
Clarence Terry, Jr., MS, of Toledo, Ohio passed away
peacefully on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 in the Cleveland Clinic,
surrounded by his loving wife of 34 years, Ardenia Jones
Terry, family and friends.
Clarence was born on August 3, 1948 in Cleveland, Ohio to
Clarence, Sr., and Annie Pearl Wilson Terry, both of blessed
memory. He received his formal education in Cleveland Public
Schools at Doan Elementary, Harry E. Davis Junior High and
John Hay High. Clarence received both his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from Bowling Green State University.
He was baptized at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Cleveland at an
early age. He was a charter member of New Horizon United
Methodist Church of Toledo, OH.
|
 |
|
Clarence was employed at Bowling Green State University for
35 years as director of Multicultural Recruitment, retiring
in May of 2008. During his tenure, he recruited thousands of
minority students from New York, Texas, Michigan, Georgia,
Washington, D.C., California and Ohio. He provided hundreds
of families with guidance and direction. He saw his BGSU
responsibility as being: “to assist minority students to
reach their life-long dream of being a college graduate.”
His road to achievement started at BGSU in 1968 through the
Student Development Program. Shortly after his graduation,
the director offered him the opportunity to work as a
financial aid advisor. He later moved on from that position
to become the director of the program.
When student recruitment was moved to the Admissions Office
in 1985, Clarence then became the director of Multicultural
Recruitment. Brian Robinson, a graduate, attributes his
coming to BGSU to Clarence. “Clarence Terry came to my high
school in Toledo. In fact, he came twice. I wanted to go to
college but I didn’t know how to go about getting there. He
let me know about financial aid,” Robinson said.
Clarence wanted BGSU to be a diverse campus and he kept that
focus by changing the university demographics ensuring that
minority students were in the mosaic fabric of the campus.
Clarence was a member of the Amazon Lodge #4, Free and
Accepted Masons. He was also a member of the Ohio
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
(OACRAO), the Ohio Association of College Admissions
Counseling (OACAC), a Connecting Link of the Toledo Chapter
of Links, Inc., and the travel coordinator with T-Town
Travelers, Ltd. An independent travel agent with the
American Travel Bureau, Clarence loved to travel with his
wife. Together they traveled the world.
Clarence is survived by his wife, Ardenia Jones Terry; two
sisters, Theresa (James) Pawnell of Cahokia, IL and Lillie
Terry of Cleveland; uncles, Roosevelt Wilson, Alfred (Kathy)
Wilson and Earl (Doris) Wilson, all of Cleveland; three
loving brothers-in-law, John (Fran) Jones, Eldred R.
(Vanessa) Jones, both of Atlanta, GA, and Otis (Sarah)
Glover of Birmingham, AL; two nephews, Eric G. Hearne of
Cleveland, OH and Otis Glover, Jr., of Birmingham, AL; two
nieces, Antenica Williams of Toledo and Otisa (Paul) Glover
Walker of Birmingham, AL; and two special friends from
elementary school, Jerry Hardaway of Cleveland, OH and
Donald Morton of Toledo.
He leaves to cherish his memory from Ghana, West Africa, Dr.
Frank and Eric (Christie) Ampadu of Minneapolis, MN, William
(Victoria) Ampadu, Linda (Jonathan) Yawson, Patricia Okyere
all of Columbus, OH, Kenneth (Nana) Okyere of Chicago, IL,
and Michael Commey of Toledo, OH and a man’s best friend,
Little Miss Monster. He will be fondly remembered by a host
of family members, friends and colleagues.
|
