Joseph "Joe" Gerard Clement

Joseph “Joe” Gerard Clement, 94, died Monday, December 20, 2021. Dad’s commitment and devotion to his wife Polly, family, country and Catholic faith were unshakeable and truly inspiring. He was a quiet giant in all of our hearts. If there was a persona that could depict the attributes from “The Greatest Generation”, it was our dad. Trust, integrity, humility, work ethic and a strong desire to ensure his children had the best education and opportunity to succeed, were fundamental to his beliefs. Dad was proud to have served our country in the Navy and with his tour of duty in the Pacific. He would share memories with us about being aboard a destroyer and stated the high point of his service was the day they escorted the battleship Missouri into Tokyo Bay when General MacArthur accepted the formal surrender by Japan ending World War II. After returning from the war, he applied his strong analytical skills and hands-on training to excel at many manufacturing roles at Boeing. He concluded his career as a numerical control programmer, integrating the engineering aspects to the design equipment that helped craft many of the components produced in Wichita. Dad’s leadership in the family was demonstrated by his love, devotion and support of our mom. They were inseparable. Whether it was “power walks” in the neighborhood, playing golf or being at as many of the children’s sporting events as possible, you would not find one without the other. Dad loved baseball and had aspirations of playing in the “big leagues” while growing up and living in close proximity to Fenway Park in Boston. His call to service, however, and raising a family, redirected his baseball dreams. Forever a Red Sox fan, he would live vicariously through his children and grandchildren whether it was coaching teams or cheering from the stands. He and mom were dedicated and worked tirelessly to ensure all the children had a strong education, rooted in the Catholic school system. Dad is survived by 18 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren, all of whom believe that he did make it to the “big leagues” as a father, mentor and inspiration to us all. Their legacy continues in building the next great generation. Preceded in death by his wife, Polly Clement; his parents, Phileas and Gertrude Clement; his siblings, Phil, Gerry, Charlie and Theresa; daughter-in-law Diane (Marty) Clement; and Gianna Diane Clement (stillborn daughter of Alex and Maggie Clement). Survived by children, Donald J. (Kathleen) Clement of Leawood KS, Martin J. Clement of Overland Park, KS, Jeanne Clement (Richard) Roberts of Wichita, KS, Kevin C. (Kim) Clement of Lakewood, CO, Robert E. (Lisa) Clement of Shawnee, KS, and James (Dana) Clement of Scottsdale, AZ; 18 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. Rosary will be at 9:30 am; Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 am, Saturday, January 8, 2021, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Memorials have been established with: Joe and Polly Clement Endowment for the St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School Fund with the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, 424 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202; and A Better Choice, 3007 E. Central Ave., Wichita KS 67214. Services in Care of Downing & Lahey East Mortuary, Wichita, KS.