05/19/2026
IN LOVING MEMORY-For over 25 years, Mr. Clarence E. Bearden stood within my close circle of funeral professionals and trusted friends in the sacred profession of funeral service. Clarence was not simply a funeral director—he was a seasoned mortician whose experience, dependability, and knowledge of the profession placed him among the great funeral men of Houston, Texas.
Clarence served many years at the historic Lockwood Funeral Home under the legendary Theodore Oliver during a time when Lockwood Funeral Home could possibly have been considered one of the strongest funeral establishments on Houston’s north side. Clarence was a very astute and detailed funeral director. Even during local funeral association meetings, while others gathered socially, Clarence could always be found with his notebook open and a pocket full of pens, carefully documenting every conversation and every detail concerning the daily activity of funeral service in Houston.
After many dedicated years at Lockwood, Clarence eventually found his professional home at James Stripling Funeral Home, where he became a direct asset to Mr. James Stripling. The relationship between Stripling Funeral Home and Pruitt & Pruitt Mortuary was more than professional—we operated like brother funeral homes, constantly exchanging equipment, personnel, services, and support. Wherever you found James Stripling Funeral Home, you could usually find Clarence nearby, often “cooling out” during one of his famous all-day cigarette breaks.
Clarence possessed an extraordinary knowledge of funeral service, though one truly had to know him personally to receive the wealth of wisdom he carried. Long before GPS systems existed, Clarence E. Bearden was a GPS of his own. He knew every church in Houston, every cemetery road, every entrance, every exit, and the best possible route across Texas. Not once did he ever provide me incorrect information.
He was an exceptional transport man whose number of removals and sensitive transfers cannot even be counted. Many times throughout my career, when difficult situations required the presence of a seasoned, knowledgeable funeral professional, Clarence E. Bearden answered the call without hesitation.
Clarence loved conversation and could talk with you for hours, but he never lost sight of business. In his familiar voice he would often say, “Hey Brother… about that lil package you owe me.” That was Clarence.
What I believe to have been Clarence’s greatest quality was his dependability. He was never a fast-moving man, but one thing was certain—he was going to arrive, and the job was going to be completed correctly with no detail overlooked. I could send Clarence to a funeral in Louisiana and he would not leave that cemetery until the family was satisfied, the cemetery personnel were finished, and the grave was fully covered—even if it meant remaining there until sundown. As long as he had his ci******es, which he was never without, Clarence was good.
My friend Clarence remained a product of the 1970s to the very end, still greeting you with “Hey Brother, give me five,” and “Now do the backside.”
If you needed an undertaker…
If you needed a mortician…
If you needed a funeral professional with true top-tier experience and dependability…
Clarence E. Bearden was the man.
He was an intricate part of the history and operation of Pruitt & Pruitt Mortuary, and I recognized his value many years ago.
Today, I bid farewell to my friend, my colleague, and my brother in funeral service.
Rest well, Clarence E. Bearden. See less
