Ken Clark

John Kenneth Clark of Box Springs, GA, died Friday, May 31, 2013, at Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, GA.

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, June 5, 2013, at New Providence Baptist Church with Reverend David Chapman officiating. Music will be provided by Sherry McAllister.  Serving as pallbearers will be Todd Reynolds, Cameron Elliott, Tommy Hill, Steve Clark, Gene Clark, Steve Young, Angus Clark, and Edward Reynolds. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, from 6-8PM.

Ken Clark, age 80, was born to Heman Glennwood and Vivian Hester Clark in Lumberton, North Carolina, where he lived until his high school graduation from Hoke High School at the age of 17. He then joined the US Navy where he proudly served 4 years of shipboard Korean War duty. He entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1954, earning a degree in journalism 3 years later.

Ken’s successful career began with the Charlotte Observer as a reporter and editorial writer before entering the public relations field, where he held corporate positions with Monsanto, M&M/Mars and North Carolina National Bank. He was inducted into the Public Relations Hall of Fame in 1990 and retired from Duke Power in 1992, where he was Vice President in Charge of Corporate Communications.

After his retirement, Ken devoted himself to public service, having moved to Marion County, Georgia to be close to his wife Shirley’s family. He had perfected the art of bringing people together for the greater good, with a focus on economic development and jobs creation. He thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and made himself an integral part of the community.

Ken’s favorite pastimes included fishing, travel to sunny beaches, photography and getting to know his 3 children and 7 grandchildren, making several trips to the Pacific Northwest for that purpose. He was content with a good fire and conversation, always with a wit and insight that reflected his keen intelligence. His continued involvement with nieces, nephews, friends and extended family gave him great pleasure, as did a well-written historical article or Civil War tome.

Ken has fought several health battles in the past and lost his fight with pancreatic and liver cancer last Friday. He will be sorely missed by all who have known him, including the business and family contacts for whom he worked so hard. He enjoyed his last years in the beautiful home he and Shirley shared on Juniper Lake, boating in the afternoons and making the neighborly rounds to pass the day.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley Clark of Box Springs, GA; by a son, John Kenneth Clark, Jr. of Morgantown, NC; by three daughters, Beth McLeod, Karen Kunkle and Lisa Crawford and husband Dennis, all of Seattle, WA; by a brother Tony F. Clark and wife Peggy of Chapel Hill, NC; and by a sister Jean Johnson Kelly and husband Bill of Raeford, NC. 7 Grandchildren, Lindsey McLeod, Robert Kunkle, William Kunkle, Kimberly Kunkle, Dustin Lagos, David Crawford, Jennifer Crawford, and two great-grandsons, Leo Sanon and Colin McManamon also survive.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the New Providence Baptist Church Building Fund, 51 Moon Lane, Buena Vista, GA, 31803, or the John B. Amos Cancer Center, 1831 5th Ave., Columbus, GA, 31904. Watson-Tante Funeral Home of Buena Vista, Georgia, was in charge of these arrangements.