Clarence Elijah Gissendanner

May 12, 1936 – October 8, 2025

Clarence Elijah Gissendanner, 89, passed away on October 8, 2025. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, pharmacist, servicemember, and man of steadfast faith, Clarence lived a life defined by the devotion he showed to his family, his country, and the communities he served.

Clarence was born on May 12, 1936, in Worth County, Georgia, near Ty Ty. His childhood was spent across several towns in Georgia, attending early grammar school in Sumner thru sixth grade, then seventh and eighth grades in the Athens area, before moving to Moultrie in 1950. He graduated from Moultrie High School in 1954 and returned to Athens to attend the University of Georgia, pursuing a degree in pharmacy. While studying, he worked as a waiter and cook at the Old South Restaurant and later as a laboratory technician at Athens General Hospital. In April 1956, during his time at UGA, he met Virginia Scoggins, who would become the love of his life and wife of 65 years. The couple married on August 20, 1960, just two days after Clarence earned his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. He later pursued advanced education at Mercer University’s School of Pharmacy, completing his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1974.

Clarence’s career in uniformed service spanned multiple branches. He served on active duty at the U.S. Army Hospital in Fort Monroe, Virginia, from 1962 to 1964, followed by time in the Army Reserves, the Georgia National Guard, and the U.S. Air Force Reserves. In 1979, he entered active duty with the U.S. Public Health Service, eventually retiring as an O-6 Captain. Even in retirement, he continued to serve as a volunteer pharmacist at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Georgia.

Professionally, Clarence dedicated his life to pharmacy and public health. After returning from military duty in 1964, he partnered in a pharmacy in Dalton, Georgia, and later served as a pharmacist at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville. He joined the Georgia State Drug Abuse Program in 1971, and upon completing his PharmD, became Chief of Pharmacy in Georgia’s Division of Physical Health. His career with the U.S. Public Health Service included serving as Regional Pharmacy Consultant for Region IV and as Deputy Director of the Rehabilitation Branch at the Hansen’s Disease Center in Carville, Louisiana, where he and Virginia forged lifelong friendships and a love for Cajun cuisine. In 1992, he returned to Atlanta, continuing his service until retiring from federal work in 1999. He subsequently served as Director of Pharmacy at West Central Georgia Regional Mental Health Hospital until his retirement from state service in 2000, while also partnering in two pharmacies in Conyers, Georgia.

Clarence also devoted significant time to volunteer service, reviewing records for the Atlanta Visiting Nurses Association, serving as a volunteer pharmacist at Fort McPherson, the Samaritan Garden Community Health Center, and later at Eisenhower Army Medical Center from 2011 to 2019. His commitment to community extended through his church, mission work, and other health programs, exemplifying a life of quiet dedication.

Clarence cherished his home at St. George Island, Florida, where countless family memories were made at the family beach house affectionately known as Sea Joy.

Clarence Elijah Gissendanner leaves a lasting memory of integrity, service, and love. He and Virginia shared more than six decades of partnership marked by loyalty, devotion, and legacy in the creation of their ‘Gissendanner Clan.’ A man of deep faith and unwavering family commitment, Clarence often reflected on the blessings of his life, his faith in God’s guidance, and the importance of family history and connection across generations. He will be remembered with affection by his wife, Virginia; his children, Clare, Helen, and Kerra; his seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. He will be memorialized at Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, alongside generations of family. Donations in his memory can be made to the UGA College of Pharmacy, Mercer University Pharmacy School, or donors’ choice of a local Humane Society, SPCA, or a mission organization.

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A note from Clarence’s granddaughter, Ansley.

It has been a true honor to be asked to write Granddaddy’s obituary, because it gave me the space to reflect on someone who has been one of the most meaningful influences in my life. As I sifted through memories, I found myself returning to 2013, a freshman at the University of Georgia, I was assigned a heritage project for my ENG 1101 class. I chose to explore the significance of Athens, GA, in my family’s story, especially Grammy’s upbringing there and how she eventually met Granddaddy. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the very classroom where I sat in Park Hall was the same building and course where they first crossed paths nearly sixty years earlier. What began as a simple essay became something much deeper: long conversations with my grandparents about their relationship, their history, and the foundation they built together.

In light of his passing, I asked the seven Gissendanner grandchildren to share one word that best described Granddaddy. Their answers covered the full spectrum from hilarious and fun-loving to steadfast and devoted. I also asked for their favorite meal he made. While his pimento cheese put up a strong fight, the winner was unmistakable: his famous gumbo. A staple at family holidays, UGA gamedays, and New Year’s Day mornings at Covey Rise Farm served alongside black-eyed peas, stewed tomatoes, and greens— his gumbo was the ultimate comfort food, rich with both flavor and memories.

Granddaddy developed his gumbo recipe during the years he and Grammy lived in Carville, Louisiana. Anyone familiar with Cajun cooking knows the “holy trinity” of onions, celery, and bell peppers— the foundational trio that gives depth to gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, and nearly every meal that defines a Southern kitchen. It feels only fitting that the dish most closely tied to Granddaddy’s memory mirrors his own life, shaped by his own kind of holy trinity: faith, service, and family.

Granddaddy’s Holy Trinity // Recipe for a Beautiful Life

1. Sauté the onions until translucent // Create a foundation in faith

The ingredient that guides all the others. Like an onion, faith can bring tears, but it also brings clarity and sweetness. Granddaddy’s faith guided every choice he made, softened the rough edges, and flavored everything that followed. It was the ingredient he reached for first, the one that holds up under pressure, the one Granddaddy trusted to carry the whole pot.

2. Add in the celery // Devote yourself to acts of service

Celery is fibrous, strong, and often overlooked—which makes it the perfect mirror of Granddaddy’s service. Whether in uniform, in public health, or in the volunteer roles he continued long after retirement, he showed up with steadiness and purpose. Service was not something he performed; it was something he embodied—quietly, faithfully, and without expectation of praise. Service gave structure to his life the way celery gives backbone to the trinity: dependable, sturdy, and always present—even if not always noticed.

3. Toss in the bell peppers for flavor // Family is the spice of life

Bell peppers bring color, sweetness, brightness—the finishing touch that brings the whole dish to life. For Granddaddy this was his family. His wife, children, grandchildren, and pets were the vibrant notes in his days, the reason he worked, served, and prayed. Family adds joy, warmth, and laughter to life, just as bell peppers add depth and sparkle to a good dish.

And just like his gumbo, Granddaddy’s life grew better with time—richer, softer, kinder.

While his recipe was always written down, it seemed that as the years passed, he set the instructions aside and measured more and more from the heart. You could say he cooked that way simply because he knew the recipe by heart—and that is true—but I like to think it reflects something deeper. Over time, we all come to understand that the imperfect often creates more flavor, more interest, and more joy. We are, after all, perfectly imperfect ourselves—shaped by grace, forgiven with abundance, and loved fiercely by a God who gave His son for us.

In his memory, we will strive to live inspired by this recipe and holy trinity. Grounded in faith, strengthened by service, and brightened by the love of family. And just as he did, we’ll leave room for the heart to season the pot and always come back for seconds. 

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