Florence Sanders Clary

Gaffney, SC - Florence Ellen Sanders Blackwood Spencer Clary, 91, of 421 S. Limestone Street, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at Cherokee Medical Center

Born in Gaffney, she was the daughter of the late John Thomas "Tom" Sanders and Mary "Ellen" Atkins Sanders and the last surviving member of the Sanders family. She was the wife of the late Ray Ellison Clary, first married to the late Jack L. Blackwood, her husband of thirty-eight years and the father of their three daughters.

Jack and Florence were owners and managers of The Blackwood Real Estate and Insurance Agency having worked together twenty-five years at the time of Jack's death October 31, 1988. Florence continued the business until her retirement in 2003.

In 1991 she married Joe Dean Spencer. They were married for twenty-two and one-half years. Joe Dean passed away on July 25, 2013.

In September of 2015 Florence and Ray Ellison Clary were married. Ray passed away on August 15, 2019. They would have celebrated their third wedding anniversary on September 24, 2019.

A Christian and lifelong member of Cherokee Avenue Baptist Church, she was a former member of the Worship Choir and the Senior Adult Choir "The Amazing Grace Singers" and she taught Sunday School for many years.

She loved her family, getting together with them, laughing and recalling stories of the past, having a good time with her two great grandsons and dining out with friends.

Surviving are her three daughters, Susan Blackwood Spearman and husband Danny of Lexington, SC, Mary Blackwood Starnes and Martha Blackwood Shaw and husband Jerry of Gaffney, SC; a granddaughter, Jennifer Spearman Swanner and husband Ryan and two great grandsons Jackson Knox Swanner "Jack" and Logan Everett Swanner "Logan" of Lexington, SC; brother-in-law, Mike Blackwood, sister-in-law, Lutrica Blackwood Bridges of Gaffney, nieces Laura Lancaster Lembke of Virginia, Carol Blackwood of Gaffney and Wendy Blackwood Hamil of Tryon, NC; nephews, Joe Millwood, Don Millwood (Anita) and family of Cherryville, NC and Jan Millwood (Lynn) and family of Lincolnton, NC, Vernon Lee Sanders (Julie) and family of Boaz, Alabama, Frank Wright (Pam) and family, Jay Lancaster (Sandra) and his family of Waynesboro, Virginia; extended family members Vickie Spencer Phillips (Tommy) and their family of Gaffney, SC and J. Richard Spencer (Kaye) and family of Columbia, SC, extended family members Julisa Centeno (Juan) and Abriana Centeno of Asheville, NC, Jill Clary Stevenson (Dan) and son Andrew, Jay Ellison Clary (Delette) and sons Ellison Clary and Ben Kercher and his family of Warner Robin, GA; brother Guy Clary (Marrsue) and family of Gaffney, SC.

In addition to her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by two sisters: Mary Frances Sanders of Gaffney and Ruth Sanders Lancaster Burgess of Staunton VA, four brothers, John Thomas Sanders, Jr. "Jack", Graniteville, GA, Roy N. Sanders "Nick" of Mechanicsville, VA, Jesse Ervin Sanders "Jesse" and Vernon Lee Sanders "Vernon" of Gaffney, SC.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00AM on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Frederick Memorial Gardens, Gaffney, SC with Dr. Clyde Thomas. The family will receive friends at the graveside. If inclement weather, services will be held in the Blakely Funeral Home Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Cherokee Avenue Baptist Church, (Feeding of the Homeless), P.O. Box 1449, Gaffney, SC 29342.

The family will be at the residence.

An online guest register is available at www.blakelyfuneralhome.com

Blakely Funeral Home & Crematory, Gaffney, SC