'Really going to miss him': Princeton remembers Ron Clement

Jan. 21—PRINCETON — Ron Clement, a fairly new resident of Mercer County, passed away on Dec. 21, 2022 at his winter home in Florida.

Clement spent the warm spring and summer months in Mercer County and had been doing so for six years.

During his time in Mercer County, Clement got heavily involved with the Princeton arts community.

His biggest and most notable project in the area was the Princeton Bark Park Mural.

Princeton City Manager Mike Webb said he really enjoyed getting to know Ron and felt that his passing is a "true loss" to the community.

"Everything I knew about Ron was that he would give, he wouldn't ask for anything in return, he didn't request anything in return, he just simply gave his time and his effort," said Webb. "You don't find many people like that."

Webb said that Clement really developed a love for West Virginia and said he often talked about the beauty of the landscape.

"He really got to where he enjoyed being here. He got to talk about the mountains, he got to talk about how when he was doing the mural, he could look back and see the mountains on past the hospital and just the layout of the land. He realized he liked being here as much as we loved him being here," Webb said.

Webb recalled his favorite memory of Clement was seeing him work on the mural with his dog, Mobley.

"They would work on the mural together, they would hangout together. It was hot when he was painting it, and he never grumbled about it, he just enjoyed doing it. I hope everybody gets a chance to go out to the Princeton Bark Park and take a look at the mural," he said. ""It's about 30 by 50 feet, and he did it all by himself; for that, I think everybody just needs to have a stop and take a moment to say than you to Ron."

Webb said that he felt that Clement really grew and found himself while living in the area.

"He truly brought friendship and just an openness to say 'What can I do for you,' and we are really going to miss him in the Princeton community," said Webb.

Clement was not only an artist, but musician as well.

Lori McKinney, co-founder and executive director of RiffRiaff Arts Collective, knew Clement through his performances at The Room Upstairs.

"He was just a wonderful musical and painter, he was so fun to be around, and he always picked the best songs on Open Mic Night" said McKinney. "Ron's presence always brought a joyful, creative energy wherever he went."

McKinney said some of her favorite memories of Clement include getting to watch him perform songs with his ukulele and seeing all his different hats that he always wore.

"I was always happy to see him when he would come in, and I'll miss him coming in the spring," she said.

McKinney described Clement as "vibrant" and a "creative spirit."

"He was really appreciative of the arts and culture in our area, and he was always willing to share his talents and trying to help others share their creativities too," she said.

Clement's brother, Larry Clement, said he was not surprised that his brother was loved and thriving in Mercer County.

"Ron made friends wherever he went," he said. "He was a man of many talents, and his character was helping people."

Larry added, "Ron was a guy who would help anybody, I don't think anyone can say anything bad about him."

Larry recalled stories his brother would tell him about his time in West Virginia.

"Ron had a neighbor who was a handyman, and every morning, he would make coffee for him and his neighbor," said Larry. "He would give him projects to do with him and just try to help him in anything he needed."

Clement was featured in the Daily Telegraph's Lifestyles section last year to highlight his life, art, and work in the Princeton community.

He talked a lot about wanting to "leave a legacy," and he said that's why he wanted to get involved in the arts community in Mercer County.

"This town, Princeton, is the one that has really given me the opportunity to kind of leave a legacy and do something because last year when the Royal Theater in Princeton was being renovated, they asked me to do a mural for the inside of it," said Clement for his feature.

He expressed love for the community for not only giving him the ability to leave a legacy with the mural, but also for the people and the land.

"I consider this my home, my primary home," he said.

The Princeton Bark Park is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. where Clement's mural can be viewed.

— Contact Kassidy Brown at kbrown@bdtonline.com.