Gerald L. Clute memorial (family and friends)

“The adventure of life is to learn,” wrote motivational writer William Arthur Ward.

These words could not be truer for Oakland Community College alumnus Gerald Clute, who passed away October 17, 2021, at the age of 74 after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.

When Oakland Community College opened in the fall of 1965, Clute showed up for his first class. In the 56 years since he stepped foot into OCC, he would amass a record number of credit hours and degrees. His associate degrees included Business Administration, Automotive Technology, Engineering, Robotics Technology, Liberal Arts, Environmental Systems Technology/Facilities Management, and Environmental Systems Technology/HVAC. In the late 60s, Clute attended Wayne State University where he completed a Liberal Arts Degree in Political Science but returned to OCC because he wanted to.

When not in school, Clute spent much of his time on his family’s farm in Port Huron and resided his entire life in Michigan. After working for Ford Motor Company and in his retirement, he worked part-time at Forster-Laidlaw Florist for several years. His wife Laurel Tom-Clute said his degrees applied to jobs he held mostly in the auto industry. At one point he taught in the technical fields, but he preferred learning more than teaching. Despite the record number of credit hours Clute obtained over the years, he never expressed interest in holding records.