Reverend Callie Clifton Garris | Eastern NC Now

    The Reverend C. Clifton Garris, a native of Washington, NC, went home to be with the Lord on December 29, 2025. After graduation from Washington High School, Cliff enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and honorably served with the Flying Tigers as a Radar Technician from 1956 - 1962.

    Cliff attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and received his AB degree from Milligan College in Johnson City, Tennessee. He earned his Master of Divinity Degree in church history from Lexington (Kentucky) Theological Seminary. Cliff's postgraduate studies have been in communication, institutional goal setting, and radio broadcasting. Prior to entering the ministry, his business experience was in finance and sales.

    Cliff pastored churches in Kentucky, North Carolina, Illinois, and Ohio. His last pastoral assignment prior to retirement was at East Market Street Christian Church in Akron, Ohio followed by fifteen years as an interim pastor at various churches. He simultaneously upheld duties as a local congregational pastor. His forty-two years of ministry have been filled with various leadership positions at the regional level of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He was the State Youth Advisor in North Carolina, the President of the College of Professional Christian Ministers of Illinois and Wisconsin, and the Vice Moderator of the Illinois Disciples Foundation (University of Illinois campus ministry). Cliff was devoted to his community wherever he lived. Over the years he was director of the largest food pantry in east central Illinois, he helped implement the annual "Prayer Breakfast" of the Association of Commerce and Industry and served as a jail chaplain.

    He received the Richlands (NC) Man of the Year Award for his leadership on numerous projects.

    Cliff will be dearly missed by his loving wife of 65 years, Patricia; children, Sandra (Art) Woolard, Dale Garris, Jonathan (Tina) Garris; grandchildren, Alexis (Taylor) Jensen, Kristy (Nathan) Mosher, Mackenzie Mitchell, Alexandria (Joshua) Register, Matthew Cullipher, Jenna Woolard (deceased), Tyler Garris, and Shyann Garris; and 18 great-grandchildren.

    Visitation will be held on Monday, January 5, 2026, from 4-6 pm followed by a 6:00 pm funeral service at Newcomer Funeral Home, 131 N. Canton Rd., Akron, Ohio 44305.

    Funeral services will be held in Washington, NC at the First Christian Church Disciples of Christ on Saturday, January 10, 2025, at 11:00 AM with Rev. Gillian Pollock officiating. Burial will follow in Oakdale Cemetery with military honors.

    The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.

    Paul Funeral Home and Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Garris family.