Clarence Samuel Rorex, 95, of Blessing, Texas went to be with the Lord on August 30, 2017. Clarence was born on May 11, 1922, in Rockdale, Texas to the late Samuel and Sarah Iola Buff Rorex and grew up in Wharton County, Texas the youngest of eight children. He married JoAnn Thompson in 1941 and worked in the oil field industry before being drafted by the U.S. Army in 1943.

Clarence proudly served in the 1897th Engineer Battalion during World War II. His unit built airfields on Pacific Islands taken by the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as roads and bridges that enabled the transfer of materials. Clarence's unit earned the Meritorious Service award while Clarence was individually awarded the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Stars, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Philippines Liberation Medal with Bronze Star.

After returning home in 1946, Clarence worked with a company rehabilitating equipment brought back from the war. He and JoAnn later moved to Texas City where Clarence worked for Monsanto Chemical Company from 1955 until his retirement in 1985. Sadly, JoAnn passed away in 1995 after 54 years of marriage.

In 1996, Clarence reconnected with his childhood sweetheart, Iola Mae Stroud (Pesak). The two married in 1996 whereby Clarence inherited four daughters he loved as his own: Jeroline Cerny (Edwin), Emilia Fischer (John), Cynthia Anderson (James), and Gayle Otto (Daniel), along with their families. Clarence was a kind-hearted and loving man who brought joy to all that knew him. Since his marriage to Iola, Clarence was a loyal member of the St. Peter's Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.

In addition to his parents and his wife JoAnn, Clarence is also preceded in death by his second wife of 17 years Iola, his siblings Mary, George, Eva, Lewis, Ruth, Aaron, and Sue. He is survived by his four step-daughters Jeroline, Emilia, Cynthia, and Gayle, along with nieces and nephews Marshall Holloway, Bill Holloway, Eutabella Albritton, Lois Kalthoff, Sammy Holloway, Frances Beaird, Carol James, Mary Margaret Hanna, Jacquie Lyn Johson and Ruth Westbrook. Special thanks are extended to his nephew Marshall Holloway, who loved Clarence and whom Clarence loved dearly. Special thanks are also extended to his caretakers and special friends Domingo and Laura Solis, as well as Heather Pierce.

The visitation will be 5:00-7:00pm, with a 6:00pm Rosary, Friday, September 8 at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City. A funeral Mass will be held 10:00am Saturday, September 9, 2017 at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Blessing, Texas. Interment will follow at 3:00 PM at Forest Park East Cemetery in Webster, Texas.