Clinton Earl Conerly

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Clinton E. Conerly, 79, United States Army, passed away at home on Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Burke, VA. Clint was born on October 11, 1945 in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to Shelby and Juanita Andrews Conerly. He grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi.

He is survived by Brenda Noble Conerly, his loving wife of 54 years, his daughters, Angela (Pete) Duperrouzel and Amy Conerly (Mike O’Mara), and two granddaughters, Kayla and Lexi Duperrouzel. Clint loved the life he and Brenda had together and their family. His kinetic energy – supporting, advising, and educating them – electrified his voice, his phone messages and even his emails. No detail was too small for all caps! His daughters and granddaughters knew he was their biggest supporter from preschool through high school to university and beyond.

Clint loved people and loved sharing his passion for music (especially country music), food (especially barbecue), and places (especially Washington, D.C. and the Virginia countryside). All of this was done at a breakneck speed so he could impart as much information as possible to his mostly captive audience (cars, trains, buses, planes, doctors’ waiting rooms). His enthusiasm and depth of knowledge were a joy to witness and be a recipient of. He honed his communication skills through his lifelong membership in Toastmasters, winning local, regional, and national speech contests.

His university studies and career began at the University of Southern Mississippi, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in May 1968. Clint was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army the next day. After Armor Office Basic Training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, he was assigned to Ft. Hood, Texas and Camp Casey in Korea. In 1973, while obtaining a Master of Science in College Counseling, he joined the Mississippi Army National Guard and worked at the University as Supervisor of Men’s Housing and later as Assistant Registrar. He returned to active duty in 1981, serving as Assistant Professor of Military Science and Enrollment Officer at the University of Southern Mississippi Army ROTC. His next assignment was serving in the Military Education Branch of the Army National Guard in Washington, D.C. and as the Assistant/Advisor to Dr. Diane Disney, Assistant Secretary of Defense (Civilian Personnel Policy). He graduated from the Army War College in 1994 and retired from the National Guard Bureau in 1998.

Clint was a man of faith – a wonderful example of God’s love in action. He was a member of Knollwood Community Church, where he served as Elder, Bible Study Leader, and a member of the Knollwood Preschool Board. His love for the children of the church led his family to request that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Knollwood Preschool or a charity of your choice.

A memorial service will be held on August 12, 2025 at 6:00 PM at Knollwood Community Church, 10000 Coffer Woods Rd, Burke, VA 22015.