Mr. Clarence Turnipseed

Clarence Turnipseed Jr. was born on January 29th, 1936 to the late Clarence Turnipseed Sr., and the late Sadie Shanks-Turnipseed, at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA. Affectionately known as C.T., he is the eldest with two sisters, the late Patricia Turnipseed, and Beverly Anne Turnipseed (who passed in infancy). He began his spiritual journey at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga. His academic journey began at Rush Memorial Elementary School, and continued at Booker T. Washington High School, where he graduated at the age of 16. Afterwards, he moved on to major in math at Morehouse College, where he was an avid alumnus following his attendance. He was drafted into the United States Army in March of 1957, where he served 2 years, including a deployment in Kaiserslautern, Germany. He also received his Juris Doctorate for law from John Marshall Law School. Beginning his career as an air traffic controller, he was later employed by Health, Education and Welfare, currently known as Health and Human Services, where he became the first Black professional employed by Social Security in the Southeast Region. There, he was a Personnel Management Specialist, leading recruitment of many Black college professionals (from Morehouse, Clark and several other colleges & universities). His love of baseball also led him to work as a Supervisor with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field Stadium for over two decades. He married Alberta Jackson and they have three children: Roderic, Nicole, and Wendi. He became a faithful member of Greenforest Baptist Church, where he attended the Coming of Age fulfillment hour class. He served as President with his high school’s (Booker T. Washington) alumni group and assisted with activities and the scholarship fund. He also continued to contribute to Morehouse College and events. Clarence Turnipseed Jr is known for his warm smile and deeply caring heart. His generosity and sincere spirit are attributes known to all who encountered him. At times he was comical but through any and all situations, he maintained a calm demeanor. By work friends, he is known for giving gifts and words of affirmation to coworkers to make sure they felt appreciated. By family, he is a stable provider, loving patriarch, and was the epitome of what a father, husband, and grandpa should be. His most cherished position was that of husband, uncle, father, and grandfather to his family. He is survived by his wife Alberta; his children Roderic, Nicole (Calvin), and Wendi; his grandchildren Summer, Nia, Tiye, Kyla, Isaiah and Elijah; his nieces LuJuana, Sherrieonte; his nephew David; and grand and great-grand nieces and nephews Briona, Brittney, Justice, Bryce and Trulee; and a host other relatives and friends.

Tributes

Mr. Clarence Turnipseed

January 29, 1936 - July 23, 2024