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Mr. Clement J. Handron

Deceased: 2019-11-04

Diocese: ALBANY

Seminary Graduation Year: 1956


After a long and happy life, Clement Handron died peacefully on Monday, November 4, 2019, surrounded by his loving family.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, November 8th at 11 AM in the Wilkerson Funeral Chapel. The family will receive friends from 6-8 PM on Thursday evening at the funeral home.

Raised in Troy, NY, as the oldest son of Dr. Clement J. Handron Sr. and Anne Dower Handron, he entered the seminary to study for the Catholic Diocese of Albany in 1948. He earned an AA degree at St. Charles College of Baltimore and a BA in Philosophy and Licentiate of Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Ordained to the Priesthood at the Vatican in 1955, he returned to serve the Diocese of Albany for 23 years as an educator, administrator and Pastor. In the 1970’s, after 5 years of commuting, he earned a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Andover-Newton in Boston and became a Priest-Psychologist for the Diocese.

He resigned from the active ministry in 1978, moved to Long Island, became part of a private mental health practice and married his beloved Dorothea Scott. Their two sons were born in 1980 (CJ III) and 1982 (Chris), they lived in Stoney Brook and then Huntington, NY until 1990.
He and the family moved to Greenville, NC in 1990 and he became Clinical Director of Children’s Services of the Pitt County Mental Health Center and also quickly became an Adjunct Instructor in the Psychology Department at East Carolina University. From 1996 – 2016, he taught full time at ECU, then taught an Ethics class at Pitt Community College from 2016 – 2019.

He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Edward, and nephews John Paul and E.J.

He is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Dorothea; son Clement Joseph (III) and wife Jessie of Pittsburgh, PA; son Christopher and his wife Erin of Kill Devil Hills, NC; grandchildren Margaret Doris and Charles James of Pittsburgh, PA; brothers John, David, Michael and Daniel and 27 nieces and nephews.

Dr. Handron was a long time member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. He served on several city and county councils and boards. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather; a caring and dedicated teacher; and an excellent orator. He loved opera, classical music and theatre. He leaves with a special devotion to his beloved Dorothea and as loving being ‘Pama’ to his grandchildren Maggie and Charlie.

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