Clarence E. Pfluger

Clarence Pfluger, age 94, died peacefully on February 11, 2025 surrounded by family and close friends. He was born in 1930 on a small subsistence farm in Coupland, Texas during the Great Depression to Othilie Wilhelmina Klockman Pfluger and Walter Bernhardt Pfluger. His family were German immigrants and part of the original settlers of the area, now known as Pflugerville, Texas, a suburb of Austin. Clarence was among the first in his family to go to college where he earned a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin.

Early in his career, Clarence traveled and lived in Germany as a Fulbright Scholar in Chemistry where he met fellow chemistry research scientist and the love of his life, his wife Margrit Otto Pfluger (November 3, 1934 – April 20, 2019). Upon moving to the US, Clarence and Margrit eventually settled in Syracuse, NY where Clarence was a Professor and Research Scientist at Syracuse University for many years, and later Chair of the Chemistry Department at Kansas State University in Pittsburgh before retiring to Keene, NH and then moving to Delmar, NY.

Specializing in x-ray diffraction and crystallography, publishing dozens of scholarly articles and journals, his research received the attention of a Nobel Laureate with whom he had the honor to collaborate. He also was a guest professor in Analytical Chemistry in multiple countries and cities including in Denmark and Germany, providing his family the opportunity to live in and experience many cultures. Being able to fix, build, landscape, repair or restore anything, Clarence quickly earned the moniker “Der doch alles kann!” (he, who can do anything!). This also led him to build his own semi-automated diffraction instrument for his research in x-ray diffraction and crystallography.

Clarence and Margrit were life-long anti-racists. They fought against racism and discrimination, embraced all cultures and celebrated diversity. Clarence passed on his love of travel, classical music, animals, Mexican food, political action, fighting for civil rights, and the importance of always trying to do the right thing, on to his children, Annika Pfluger, Janna Pfluger-Boucher (Marc P. Boucher) and Karin Pfluger, as well as to his beloved grandchildren Daniel Pfluger, Jason Boucher, Lidia Boucher, and Summer Pfluger-Prouting, who will continue his legacy. 

Calling hours and a “Kaffe und Kuchen”(cake, cookies and coffee) reception in the spirit of German gemuetlichkeit (welcoming) and hospitality will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Avenue in Delmar, NY. All are welcome and invited.