Clarence Tuma, a great entrepreneur and Mt. Pleasant icon, died peacefully on July 21 with his family at his side at the age of 91.  Clarence was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend to many, many people in his lifetime.

   Born January 1, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan, the seventh of nine children to parents and Lebanese immigrants, Amos and Adeeba  (Rashid) Tuma,  Clarence grew up in Detroit and Huntington Woods  and attended Berkley High School where he was a stellar athlete.    After graduation, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was trained in anti-aircraft artillery.  He participated in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, France, and served heroically in France, Belgium, and Germany, including participation in The Battle of the Bulge.

      In 1945, at the conclusion of WWII, he was honorably discharged and returned to Huntington Woods where, on a chance encounter with his high school football coach, it was recommended that Clarence visit Central Michigan College in Mt. Pleasant.  He fell in love with the campus, and immediately enrolled.  Clarence graduated in 1950 after making a great many wonderful friends of both the faculty and student body.  He was an outstanding Chippewa varsity football player all four years.   He met Janet Thorne on campus, was immediately smitten, and married her the first weekend following her graduation in 1949.  They settled in Mt. Pleasant where Clarence became a dormitory food service director at Central Michigan College until 1956 when he and Norman LaBelle got the bright idea to open a “fancy” restaurant “way out of town” on the corner of Preston and Mission.  This, of course, became The Embers restaurant, home of the famous One-Pound Pork Chop, and a fifty-year legacy of success.  In addition to The Embers, Clarence developed the concepts for Tuma’s Country Store, Tuma’s Town Market, The Embers on the Bay in Traverse City, and Seymour’s  Restaurant.  During his ownership of The Embers and continuing throughout his retirement, Clarence led extensive fundraising efforts, including the construction of the Mt. Pleasant Community Memorial Stadium, development of the new CMU football stadium, expansion of the Central Michigan Community Hospital, and the creation of the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen.  Clarence received many individual honors in his lifetime, both associated with the Mt. Pleasant Community and CMU, including being named CMU Homecoming Grand Marshal and receiving an Honorary Doctorate from CMU.  In addition, Clarence was awarded Distinguished Service Awards from both the International Lions Club and the Michigan Restaurant Association.  He was also honored by Governors Milliken and Blanchard for outstanding service to the State of Michigan.  Clarence served on many boards including the Mt. Pleasant School Board and the Isabella Bank during his lifetime.  These awards and honors do not begin to measure Clarence’s impact and influence on acquaintances, employees, friends, and family members during his lifetime.

     In his late 80’s, Clarence began working on his memoirs which were published by the Central Michigan University Press in April of 2015, entitled “The One-Pound Pork Chop:  A Recipe for Life, Love, Family & the American Dream.”  The rich experiences and special recipes from Clarence’s life made for very entertaining and educational reading, and the book has proven to be quite popular.

     Clarence lost his wife, Janet (Thorne) Tuma, who passed away in 1994 following a courageous battle with cancer.  Clarence was predeceased by his parents, Amos and Adeeba, sisters Mary and Diana, and brothers, Daniel, William, James, Samuel, Norman, and Edward Tuma.

Surviving Clarence is the second love of his life, his wife, Mary Ann (Grisdale) Schrotenboer Tuma.  Clarence and Mary Ann were married in 1999 and had 17 wonderful years together, dividing their time between Mt. Pleasant and Englewood, Florida. 

     Also surviving Clarence are his children Jeff (Vicki) Tuma, David (Lorie) Tuma, Mary Beth (Mike) Minnis, Amy (Robert) Madsen, and Scott (Jamie) Tuma; his grandchildren Shiloh (Jason) Marshall, Natalie (Nate ) Tuma-Souder, Jessica Tuma, Samantha Minnis, Laura (Aaron ) Rivard, Jani (Dan) Minnis-McGuire, Elizabeth Tuma, Melissa Tuma and Nicolas Tuma and three great-grandchildren, Evelyn, Alden, and Augusta Rivard; his step-children, G. R. (Kristina) Schrotenboer, and G. R.’s children Zachary and Kristen and Lori (Tim) Lowery and her children, Jake (Karlyn) and Luke;  his “adopted” Lebanese son, Joseph Touma and his family and many special nieces and nephews and friends.

Visitation will be at the Rowley Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant on Sunday, July 24 from   4 – 8 p.m.; Monday, July 25 from 5 – 8 p.m., and Tuesday, July 26 at the First Presbyterian Church from 10 – 11 a.m.   with the Celebration of Clarence Tuma’s Life beginning at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant, the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, or the Military Veteran Scholarship Fund at the CMU Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid.