Charles Harris Clark

Charles Harris Clark III, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret) May 10, 1922 – April 1, 2013 Charles Harris “Chuck” Clark III, passed away peacefully in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by family. Born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, the eldest child of Gertrude Conway Boyd and Charles Harris Clark II, he and his siblings Martha (Clark) Godden and Elmer Boyd (“Bud”) Clark, grew up in Freeport, Long Island. In 1940, he left Freeport for Hobart College in Geneva, New York, where he was a student for two years before taking a break to allow his younger brother to start college. In 1944, he was drafted into the U.S. Army for service in World War II, whereupon he married his childhood sweetheart and next-door neighbor, Beatrice Suzanne Hewitt. Following basic training, the two traveled together to Alabama, where Chuck entered Chemical Corps training. He was posted briefly in Europe (primarily France), followed by a stint in the Pacific Theatre, where he served as sergeant in charge of a chemical depot in the Philippines. After returning home from the war, he and his wife had their first son, and Chuck resumed his Hobart education. Upon graduating in 1948, he joined the Army Reserves in Tonawanda, New York. In 1951, after the birth of his second son, the growing family moved back to Freeport, where he received a commission as Second Lieutenant and took a position as a Chemical Corps officer during the Korean War. Following Korea and the birth of his daughter, the new aerospace industry lured the family to Southern California, where they settled in Glendora for what would become a 46-year stay. For a number of years, Chuck worked as a quality-control engineer for Aerojet General, during which time his third son was born. He then served as an active-duty casualty notification officer during the Vietnam War, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Following his retirement from the Army, he became a Life Member of the 63rd Infantry Division Association. He attended LaVerne College on the GI Bill, where he received a master’s degree. He then entered the educational field and worked as an administrator at the Monrovia School District until his retirement in 1988. Chuck was an active member of St. Dorothy Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. He served the latter organization for many years as treasurer before eventually becoming a Grand Knight. In retirement, he and his wife volunteered at the Glendora Public Library and traveled throughout the United States and in Mexico. Upon her death in 2001, he relocated to Boulder City, Nevada. A lifetime member of the VFW, he took an active role in the activities of Post 36. In 2007, he moved to Portland, Oregon, where he became a popular and well-loved member of the Emerson House community. Chuck is survived by: his sons and daughters-in-law Charles H. Clark IV and Jenny Whittier of Portland, Oregon; Kevin M. Clark, PhD, and Michaeleen P. Peck, PhD, of Louisville, Kentucky; Jeffrey P. Clark, DC, and Stasha Howarth-Clark of Lake Stevens, Washington; his daughter Maribeth J. Clark of Pensacola, Florida; and his granddaughter and her husband, Brenna E. and Aaron D. Gross of Milwaukie, Oregon. A memorial service with military honors will be held for family and friends on April 27 at Wilhelm’s Portland Memorial Funeral Home in Portland, Oregon. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Service Information