Clarence died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.
He was born November 15, 1933 to Balt and Jennie Stoel on a farm in Fenton Township, MN.
He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served as a gunner on a helicopter in
the Vietnam War where he was awarded the Purple Heart.
He met his wife Jane (Meisegeier) of 59 years while stationed in Minneapolis, MN.
They have two children Lisa (Dave) Carstensen and Michael Stoel, and three grandchildren,
Renee Carstensen, Sean Stoel and Brian Carstensen all of Waukesha, WI.
He attended UW-Eau Claire and received a Bachelor's of Business Administration. The family moved to Waukesha in October 1973; Clarence worked for the IRS then FDIC as a bank examiner. He served the City of Waukesha as the City Comptroller before finally retiring.
Clarence's love of country and strong desire to support all veterans led him to join several veterans' organizations including the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), Marine Corps League, Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Clarence could often be seen outside of Sam's Club collecting donations for these organizations. Clarence served as State Commander for both the DAV and MOPH; he was a strong advocate for veterans' benefits and served as Legislative chairman lobbying Congress on behalf of the DAV for many years.
Clarence was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers. He is survived by two brothers, two sisters, many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The family would like to thank the staff at Zablocki VAMC and the heart care staff at Waukesha Memorial Hospital and a special thank you to all the caring staff at New Perspective in Waukesha.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 28, from 4:00 - 6:00 PM, with a Service to follow at 6:00 PM, at CHURCH AND CHAPEL FUNERAL HOME, 380 Bluemound Rd. (corner of Hwy J & JJ, 4 blocks south of Interstate 94), Waukesha. Live streaming will be available via the Church and Chapel website. Please return later for the live streaming link. His final resting place will be at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.