August 2026 Obituaries

Aug. 1, 2026

Clarence O. McCraw

Clarence Oliver McCraw, 72, of Lake Charles, Texas, died on Feb. 16 of pancreatic cancer.

Clarence joined Senior Softball USA in 2008 and played with a plethora of Texas teams.

His athletic journey started in his youth, with the highlighting being on the fencing team within the Olympic circuit in the early 1980s. After fencing for many years, he turned to softball.

“Clarence was a powerhouse on the field,” according to his online obituary. “His career highlights included his team winning the Winter World Championship in Las Vegas in 2010. Even at age 64, his talent never waned; in 2017, he was honored with a championship ring for being named "Best in the Tournament."”

Outside of senior softball, he enjoyed being on the water and earned the nickname “Wikipedia” for his wide range of knowledge and good advice.

Clarence will be remembered playing with Texas Silverbacks 50s, Dallas Spurs 55-60s, and Triple 2 65-70s (TX).

Darryl Schroeder

Darryl Allan Schroeder, 80, of Houston died on July 29 aboard a flight to Paris en route to an African safari.

Darryl joined Senior Softball USA in 2017, playing and managing a handful of Texas teams.

“His lifelong love of playing softball never stopped and his teams won the Senior World Series several times,” according to his online obituary. “He played softball the day before his last flight.”

“As the owner and sponsor of the Maverick Construction softball teams, Darryl supported SSUSA competition for more than 20 years; his generosity allowed many senior athletes to continue competing, traveling, and building lifelong friendships through the game they loved,” said Freddie Simpson, a fellow Maverick Construction player.

“Darryl was more than a sponsor. He was also a player, manager, leader and friend.”

He was inducted into the Texas Senior Softball Hall of Fame in 2015.

In addition to senior softball, he served as the president and treasurer of the Harris County Senior Softball league and enjoyed card games and family holidays with traditions.

Outside of games, he made a living working with commercial real estate, oil and gas, construction and steel. He served on the board for the Houston Police Foundation, the Rams Club and the KCEF Foundation, assisting low-income Houston students gain a quality education.

Darryl will be remembered playing with Texas Classics 70s and Grey Sox 70s (TX), as well as managing and playing with Grey Sox 75s (TX) and Maverick Construction 75s and 80s (TX).