Dr. Clinton Canady Jr.

Dr. Clinton Canady, Jr. Born November 6, 1921, in Detroit, MI. Died July 4, 2013. He was the eldest son of Clinton Canady, Sr. and Jesse Smoot Canady. He was preceded in death by his siblings: Earlene Canady Davis and Lee Andrew "Pete" Canady. Dr. Canady, affectionately known as "Doc," began his distinguished career after graduating from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, with a Doctorate of Dental Science, and serving as a member of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. It was in Nashville that he met his wife, Elizabeth Hortense Golden Canady, a graduate of Fisk University, Meharry's sister college. Dr. and Mrs. Canady were married in 1945 and had celebrated 65 years of marriage at the time of her death in 2010. Dr. Canady was the second Black dentist in Lansing and practiced for over 50 years. He was a long-time member of Trinity AME Church and its predecessor Collins' Memorial AME Church. Among his many accomplishments and achievements, Doc Canady served as: President of Lansing Branch NAACP, the first Black member of the City of Lansing Fire Board, the first Black member of the State of Michigan Dental Board, a National Dental Examiner, member of both the Michigan and National Dental Associations, the first Black member of the Country Club of Lansing, founding member of the Lansing Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, founding member of Alpha Chi Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, member of the Detroit Chapter of the National Association of Guardsmen. He worked tirelessly to provide employment opportunities for other members of the Black Community. He assisted in securing positions for Lansing's first Black teachers, police officers and fire fighters. He also worked closely with two other pillars of the Black professional community - Dr. William Henry Harrison, MD, and Atty. Stuart Dunnings, Jr. Together, they made lasting contributions to the Greater Lansing Community. Doc's father was a sharecropper in Alabama prior to migrating north during the Great African-American Migration, where he settled in Detroit to work at Ford Motor Company. In his final days, he said, "I have lived a life beyond my greatest dreams. I don't know anyone who had more fun than me." Dr. Canady is survived by: Four children: Judge Clinton Canady III (Rita), Dr. Alexa Canady-Davis (George), Atty. Alan L. Canady (Margee), Mark Canady, and daughter-in-law Dr. Renee Canady; Ten grandchildren: Cheyenne Canady, Tara Canady Doss (Jimmy Doss), Clinton Canady IV, Anthony Canady, Sierra Canady, Marcus Canady, Alexander Canady, Wesley Canady, Raleigh Canady, and Maya Canady; and several great grandchildren. Special recognition to: Tonia Canady, Lee Andrew Canady II, Lynette Gibson, Teresa Reynolds, and Ruth McCoy. Special acknowledgement to: Burcham Hills Retirement Center and Great Lakes Hospice. "Do you know the one thing wrong with having this much fun? Nothing." -Dr. Clinton Canady, Jr. The Canady Family would like to thank the entire Lansing community, especially Doc's former patients for their enduring kindness and generosity over the years. Contributions in the memory of Dr. Clinton Canady, Jr. may be made to: Meharry Medical College c/o School of Dentistry, 1005 Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37208-3501. Funeral services will be held at Trinity AME Church, 3500 W. Holmes Rd, Lansing, MI 48911 with Rev. Lilla Martin officiating on Monday, July 8, 2013. Family hour: 11 am. Service: 12 pm. Arrangements by Swanson Funeral Home, 2216 Martin Luther King Ave, Flint, MI 48503 (810) 232-7469