Roy Wise McClendon, Jr. passed away peacefully on December 18th, 2022 at the age of 86. He was born on April 4, 1936, in Shawmut, Alabama to Ruth Tatum and Roy Wise McClendon, Sr.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carol Finley McClendon, his children, Trey (Gwen), Jason (Jennie), Matthew (Susan); grandchildren Holli O’Kelley (Sean), John McClendon (Martyna), Catherine McClendon, Elizabeth McClendon, step-grandson Julian Yas (Olga), great-grandsons Owen and Ellis O’Kelley; his sister Joyce M. Robertson (Robbie), his nieces, Melissa R. Worley (Ben), and Amanda R. Nicholls (Kenny); great nieces Lauren Worley, Sarah Ruth Nicholls and Katie Nicholls; and great-nephews Benjamin Worley (Sara) and Pierce Worley.

As a young boy, Roy attained the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop Six, led by Mr. Osmos Lanier. He joined the Shawmut Methodist Church at the age of 12 and was active there throughout his life, teaching the adult Sunday School class for several years and also sang in the choir.

Roy graduated from Valley High School in 1954, then joined the Alabama National Guard. He had basic training at Fort Jackson for six months. After finishing Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, he progressed through the ranks of 2nd lieutenant, 1st Lieutenant and ultimately Captain, Infantry. He resigned from the National Guard on July 30, 1968.

He graduated from Auburn University in 1960 in the field of pharmacy and worked at Shawmut Drug Company for his dad for a while, then worked at Eckerd Drugs in LaGrange before he and his friend, John Corley, opened Corley Drugs in the early seventies. He practiced pharmacy for 60 years.

In the seventies and eighties, he enjoyed playing tennis, then began playing golf with the Alabama Sixty Plus Golf Association which took him to golf courses all over Alabama. Each year in the summer they played golf in Waynesville, NC. After he and his wife Carol retired, he loved traveling all of the US with his best friends, Joyce and Wayne Bryan.

He had played the clarinet in the Valley High School band and took up playing the violin at the age of 75. He traveled to LaGrange, Georgia to take lessons. He enjoyed playing the violin at church along with the pianist until he was unable to attend church. He also took up oil painting and enjoyed painting landscapes.

Roy was a member of the Valley Lions Club, Methodist Men’s Club, the American Legion, Georgia Pharmacy Association, the KA fraternity at Auburn University, and Phi Delta Chi (professional fraternity), and was president of the School of Pharmacy his last year at Auburn.

Roy enjoyed planting flowers; he liked to see flowers blooming from his bed when he was sick and from the porch where he sat reading at times.

Flowers will be accepted or donations can be made to the Shawmut Methodist Church in his memory.

Visitation for Mr. McClendon will be Thursday, December 22 at 1:00 EST at Bluffton Funeral Services at 1011 N. Lanier Avenue in Lanett, Alabama with the memorial service to follow at 2:00 EST.

A private burial will be held in the Lafayette Cemetery next to his parents.

Services have been entrusted to Bluffton Funeral Services, Lanett, Alabama.