Clinton Sower

Clinton S. Sower was many things.  He was a father, son, brother, friend, songwriter, sailor, original thinker, and shepherd of lost souls.  Clinton was a fearless punk rock kid, both brash and brilliant, who found his salvation in music-- a kid who grew up and into a stouthearted and loving family man, rich in experience. 

Clinton was a talented self-taught guitarist.  As a teenager, he would never walk his high school halls without a guitar strapped to his shoulder, busting out a Violent Femmes tune in between classes.  He was writing poems and busking his own original songs with a fervor that he would carry throughout his entire life.  He played in several bands at that time and was well-liked by his peers.

Clinton had a keen intellectual curiosity that ultimately carried him through a Master's degree program.  He began his professional career as a wilderness outreach camp counselor in Cumberland, MD.  There, he mentored troubled youths who had entered the juvenile justice system.  Later on, he spent time as a special education practitioner working with autistic children in the Washington, DC metro area.  He ultimately ended up acting as a technical center of expertise for the County School System.  He would go on to create cutting-edge information systems that would be used by hundreds of teachers to help keep compliant with the ever-changing educational policy requirements of the county.

Clinton loved the outdoors and would take as many opportunities as he could to experience the wonders of nature.  He mountain biked, kayaked, hiked, and piloted his own sailboat, and was always eager to have compatriots join in the fun.  He found comfort and solace in the woods and on the water when the stresses of life would get to be tough to shoulder.

Above all else, Clinton loved his sons.  He was fiercely loyal to his friends, and necessarily has a large extended family, adopted or otherwise that survives him.  Anyone who spent time with Clinton would immediately be acquainted with his larger-than-life and often off-the-wall sense of humor.  They also would come to know his outsized sense of caring and generosity for people in his life who were in need of a beer or a shoulder to cry on.     

Clinton was taken from us far too soon.  In the short time he was granted on this planet, he created a legacy of generosity, humor, adventure, and family that will be carried on in our hearts forever.

Clinton's life is celebrated here in recollections from those who meant most to him, and those who knew and loved him.