TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Lt. Col. Rufus L. Clanzy (Ret.) 1937–2021 22 nd Eastern Province Polemarch, Howard County Administrator Distinguished Veteran of the U.S. Army
By Scott Brown
R etired Lt. Col. Rufus F. Clanzy (Columbia (MD) AL 1979), the 22 nd Eastern Province Polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., entered the Chapter In- visible on Sunday, June 6, 2021, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after a brief illness. Rufus Franklin Clanzy was born to the late Albert Clanzy and Mary Little, in Dozier, AL. Brother Clanzy was educated in the Ala- bama public school system and graduated from Tuskegee University with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Teacher Education. He obtained a Master's degree in Logis- tics Management from Florida Insti- tute of Technology, and was an Honors Graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leav- enworth, Kan. He met the love of his life, the former Doris Lavender, while attending Tuske- gee University. They were married after graduation and had three children: Gregory, Vincent (deceased), and Susan.
distinguished military service. Included in that career were two tours in Viet- nam during which he twice received the Bronze Star for meritorious service, and tours as Deputy Chief of Staff at Fort Meade and as Inspector General for the National Guard and the Army Reserve in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and on all states east of the Mississippi. Thereafter he settled in Columbia, MD and served in multiple positions in Howard County government including, Deputy Public Works Director, Director of the Department of General Services, as well as the Director of the Howard County Office of Human Rights. Of his last role, he once stated, "My phi- losophy is that, if we can get community groups working together, we can learn to live together peacefully." Clanzy was heavily involved in the First Baptist Church of Guilford upon moving to Columbia. He served as a deacon for over three decades, ministering to the- needs of the congregation.
munity through his church service. He was a longtime member of the Colum- bia (MD) Alumni Chapter, leading the chapter as polemarch. In 2003, the 29th Grand Polemarch Howard L. Tutman, Jr. appointed Clanzy as polemarch of the Eastern Province Polemarch which he led for four years. Lt. Col Rufus Clanzy is survived by his wife of 60 years, Doris; son, Gregory L. Clanzy; daughter, Dr. Susan R. Clanzy, M.D.; daughter-in-law, Natalie M. Clanzy; grandchildren, Vincent, II; Ve- ronica and Victor; sister-in-law, Myrtice Lavender and brother-in-law, Herbert L. Lavender (Essie) and a host of relatives and friends.
Clanzy, second from left, with other Past Eastern Province Polemarchs.
Clanzy not only served the local com-
Clanzy enjoyed a 28-year career of
206 | SUMMER 2021 ♦ THE JOURNAL
VIRTUAL 85 TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease