By Meg Hibbert
Contributing Writer
Colleagues, friends and family are remembering retired Circuit Court Judge Tom Clemens as a role model.
Gerald O’Neal “Tom” Clemens’ memorial service was Feb. 2. He died Dec. 26 in Salem after a brief illness. Although he was known as an attorney and circuit court judge until retiring in 1997, he went on to another career as teaching business law at Roanoke College and as a colonel in the Army reserve. Later he served on the college’s board of trustees.
Son Chris Clemens, who practiced law with his dad before becoming a circuit court judge himself, talked about what a good role model his dad was for his two sons and daughter, as well as his grandchildren.
“He was a super, super guy. He was a great role model for all of us, including my friends. As a grandparent he was at almost every basketball and soccer game the boys were in and was very present in their lives,” Chris Clemens said, adding that his dad had done the same thing for Chris, brother Charles and sister Cindy.
“I was very fortunate to get to work with him for about 10 years as a lawyer. He helped me think about cases, and to be more of a listener than a talker. It has helped me as a lawyer, a judge, as a parent and a husband. I think that’s important.”
And Chris Clemens added, “He would be peeved at all of us for all of the attention he is being given.”
Roanoke College Dean Emeritus Ken Garren talked about how valuable Tom Clemens had been to the college.
“I was impressed with Mr. Clemens’ ability to be successful in so many different areas. He served on the Roanoke College Board of Trustees when I was moved to the position of VP Academic Dean. Col. Clemens was also the commander of my Army Reserve unit. I found him to be strongly engaged in all of his leadership positions while being respected by all those who were so fortunate to know him. He did it all with great care and unquestioned integrity,” said Garren, who went on to become president of the University of Lynchburg and is now president emeritus.
Tom Clemens excelled at school in Prices Fork, Va., and also in athletics, lettering in basketball, baseball and track. He skipped two grades and graduated when he was only 16, before going on to Virginia Tech, passing the bar exam early and continuing to earn his Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University. Later he earned his master’s degree in criminal justice from Northwestern University.
He met the love of his life, Patricia, while working for Ted Dalton, later governor of Virginia. The couple settled in Salem where he practiced law with Sagen Kime in Kime & Jolly Law practice. In 1979 Tom Clemens was appointed a general district court judge and later, circuit court judge.
As noted in his obituary, “He was a champion of Salem and its institutions, volunteering with the Jaycees and chairing the church council at College Lutheran Church. For years, Pat and he read and recorded local news stories and drove for the blind through WVTF Radio Reading Service.”
After their children were grown, Tom and Pat liked going to antique stores and flea markets to search for baseball cards and sports collectibles as well as political memorabilia. He proudly cheered for the VT Hokies and the Atlanta Braves.
Tom was preceded in death by parents Jack and Clairmont Clemens and his brother, Fred Clemens. He is survived by Pat, his wife of 64 years; and children Cindy (Marcy), Chris (Meg), and Charles (Whitney); four grandsons, Luca, Christopher, Will, and Grant; and his niece and nephews.
