Clarance Taplin

Clarance Taplin passed away on June 29, 2026 at his Greenway Terrace apartment with family at his side.  He was born in Evansville, WI on June 21, 1924 to Carl and Mary Taplin, youngest of their seven children.  He grew up during the depression but thoroughly enjoyed his childhood swimming in a nearby lake, eating apples under the tree in his yard, riding his bike, hitchhiking to Madison to visit his sister, a nurse, who would treat him to a movie and maybe dinner before sending him home on the bus, helping his father who was a carpenter when he could and so on.  He attended school in Evansville.  His oldest brother, Earl, was an early aviator who built his own planes, had a flying school and inspired a lifelong love of airplanes in his youngest brother. When he was seventeen, shortly after Pearl Harbor, he joined the Navy (getting his aunt to sign for him much to his mother’s chagrin).  He attended various navy schools all across the US before ending up on an island in the New Hebrides for 18 months.  When he was discharged in October 1945 he rushed back to Evansville to marry the love of his life, Dorothy May Brunsell.  They spent the next 70 years together.  They had four children, five grandchildren, fifteen great grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren.  He worked for most of his working years as a service writer and then a service manager lastly at Middleton Motors.  He also joined the Wisconsin Air National Guard retiring after more than 20 years of service. Both he and Dorothy were patriots in good standing of the Greatest Generation.  He was also a life time member of the VFW, American Legion and Lions Club. They travelled around the country and the world.  They were members and workers for Christ Lutheran Church (third row, aisle, right side) for nearly five decades.  After their son, Tom, was killed in a car accident, they moved to his farm outside Plain and remodeled the old farmhouse, raised beef cattle for a few years, along with beautiful gardens, a dog and many cats. He is survived by his children Kay, Kent, Richard (Millie), and Carol Taplin, Grandson Anson (Danni) Staver and their daughters Alexandra and Samantha, granddaughter Kim (Steve) Gartner and their children, Margaret, Emma (Matt) Jensen and their daughter Ella, Noah (Justyce) and their daughter Aila;  Granddaughter  Colleen Zimmerman (Todd Schneider) and her children Brandon (Stacy) and their son Jaxon, Jenny (Mike)Percy and their children Brooks and Clara; Granddaughter Debbie Murphy and her son Nathan (Kristin)and their children Brett and Collett; Grandson John Phippen (Stacy) and his children Kennedy, Zoey, and Zander,  Granddaughter Whitney (Tim) Peterson and their children Arya May, Jayce, and Riely: Grandson Derek Taplin; Grandson  Eric Taplin and his daughter; Granddaughter Amanda (Tony) Kutzke and their daughters Madison and Brynn and many relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy, his son, Tom, his son-in-law Phil Phippen, his parents, his brothers, Earl, Lloyd, Tom and his sisters Izma and Frances. Funeral service will be held at Christ Lutheran Church in Spring Green on Monday, July 6, 2026 with visitation at 10:00 am and service at 11:00 am with lunch after the service in Fellowship Hall. Burial will be held in the Maple Hill Cemetery Evansville, WI with military graveside rights conducted by the VFW Post 1621. Online condolences available at www.staffordfuneralhomes.com The Richardson-Stafford Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.