Dean LeRoy Clemmer passed away the evening of July 4, 2023 at home, with his family by his side.

Dean Clemmer was born on May 1, 1938 in Edison, Washington to Kenneth and Thelma M. Clemmer. He was raised in southern California. Dean’s father died at an early age and his mother remarried. His step-father Don Elliott raised Dean for eight years.

In 1957 the military draft began, that was Dean’s senior year, he graduated from Banning High School in Wilmington, California. Dean joined the USAF on May 8, 1958. He took his basic training in Texas and his text school to be an aircraft engine mechanic at Chanute AFB Illinois. He was stationed at Forbes AFB for four years from 1958-1962. During his assignment at Forbes AFB, he worked as an aircraft engine mechanic on the aircraft KC-97. Also, during this time, he met his future wife.  On July 30, 1960, Dean married Maxine Shockey, at the Forbes Air Force Base Chapel in Topeka.  While in Topeka the couple had one child, Leroy Clemmer. In 1962, Dean was sent to Texas to learn the Titan II Missile Engine Propulsion System. Upon completion of his text school, he was transferred to Vandenberg AFB California, where the couple’s second son, Jerry, was born. Also, while at Vandenberg Dean advanced in rank to Master Sergeant and became the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge of most of the missile test launches. Dean retired from the Air Force on December 31, 1979.  He had served 21½ years on active duty.

After he was discharged from the military, Dean served as a Pastor at eight different Assembly of God Churches over a 40-year period.  He pastored in Seneca, Kansas; Holts Summit, Missouri; Axtell, Kansas; March, Missouri; Ellington, Missouri; Exeter, Missouri; Pleasant Hope, Missouri; and Slater, Missouri. During the time of pastoring, Dean accomplished many specialties. He made 5-string banjos out of automobile hubcaps and played in Branson for 10 years.   He played with Doug Gabriel at the Mel Tillis Theater; the Laurence Welk Theater, the Roy Rogers Theater; and provided music in the Food Court during The Branson Fest.

In 2014, Dean lost his wife, Maxine, after 54 years of marriage. His health deteriorated and he stepped down from being a full-time pastor. On December 19, 2015 he married Betty Gardner in Missouri.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; two sons, Leroy (Jenny) Clemmer and Jerry (Debbie) Clemmer; five grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Jeanne Sollazzo.  He also leaves behind his extended family from his first wife, the Shockey family.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 A.M., on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. A visitation will be held an hour before services. Burial will be in the Seneca City Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest next to Maxine.

Memorials will be designated later.