Services were held on Thursday for Clarence Leon Borden, who died Feb. 11, 2011.
He was born Oct. 4 1937 to Julius Borden and Susan Wyatt (Borden) of Victoria, Texas where he completed grade school and high school. He attended Prairie View A & M University for one year prior to joining the United States Air Force in 1956. He remained in the Air Force until he retired with over 20 years of service in May 1976.
Clarence met and married Dahlia Maggetti in 1968, while stationed at Great Falls, Mont. They were married for over 39 years.
He continued pursuing his education while in the Air Force and after retiring by attending the U.S. Air Force Community College at San Antonio, Texas; University of Puget Sound, Tacoma; Portland Community College; Portland State University; Western Oregon State University; and Concordia University.
He earned bachelor’s degrees in corrections and psychology, business administration and health care administration. He retired for the second time after serving five years with the Oregon Adult and Family Services Division when frail health forced his retirement in 2003.
He was a member of numerous fraternal organizations, including the Mosaic Lodge #1, Grand Forks, N.D., African Lodge No. 459, Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, Enterprise Lodge #12001; Willamette Consistory #23; the Ancient Egyptian Arabis Order Nobles Mystic Shrine; and Mina Temple #68. He was an active member of the American Legion Post 30 in Gresham. His church affiliations were Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Greater St. Stephens Missionary Baptist Church and Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church.
To know him was to love him. He was a tall soft-spoken person with kindness in his heart for everyone. He often said, I’ve made some mistakes and God saw fit to forgive me. I want to spend my last days doing good for humanity. His favorite Bible passage was Psalms 121.
He shared the sorrow and joy of surviving his wife, mother, father and sister. Now they are together once again in a place where every day is Sunday and there is joy, joy, joy!
He leaves to cherish his memories, daughters Monica Borden-Ooley, Julie King, Silvana Dailey, and Victoria Boham; a foster daughter Victoria Boham; sons Dalroy Connell and Romeao Connell, 10 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and a great-great grandchild.
Arrangements entrusted to Terry Family Funeral Home.
