Funeral services for MSG(R) Patrick Westley Clark,
72, of Leesville will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, August 12, at Main Post Chapel in Fort Polk with Pastor Walter Lawson officiating. Burial will follow in the Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery.
Visitation will be Thursday, August 11
from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Labby Memorial Funeral Home in Leesville.
Patrick, the seventh son of Norman and Ophelia Clark, was born in New Orleans and raised in Madisonville. He entered his eternal rest on Monday, August 1,
2016.
He joined the United States Army in 1964 and made it his career. He retired at Ft. Polk after 28½ years of service having served tours in Korea (twice), Vietnam, Germany (twice) and many stateside assignments including: Fort Ord,
Calif.; Fort Meade, Md.; Fort Dix, N.J.; Fort Knox, Ky.; Fort Lee, Va.; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Bragg, N.C; and Fort Polk.
MSG(R) Clark was a member of the American Legion Post 387 in New Llano, LA for 26 years. He served as the first
African-American First Vice Commander and District Commander in the 67 years of the American Legion 8th District. He has served as 8th District Finance Officer and Area “A” Commander.
He also served as Post Adjutant, Vice Commander,
Historian, Service Office and Post Commander, and numerous Department Commissions and Committees, Boy Scouts, Oratorical, Educator of the Year, Disaster Relief and Finance Committee.
He was an active member of the VFW #3106, DAV and 40
& 8 – La Societé des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux #274 and spent many volunteer hours at the state, district and local level assisting veterans and veteran families.
He attended Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church in Leesville and was
chairman of the Oz King Annual Memorial Golf Tournament which provides support to the elderly throughout Vernon Parish through the Ministerial Alliance for the last 21 years. He was an avid golfer and a loving family man.
He is survived
by his beloved wife of 52 years, Laura Jean Clark; son, General Ronald P. Clark and daughter-in-law Simona Clark of Dequincy, currently stationed in Gloucester, U.K.; daughter, Sonya P. Clark of Superior, Colo.; grandson, Matthew P. Clark of South
Bend, Ind.; and granddaughters Megan P. Clark of Durham, N.C. and Remelia P. Hubbard of Superior.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the MSG(R) Patrick W. Clark Memorial Scholarship Fund at Merchants & Farmers Bank in
Leesville.
Words of comfort may be expressed to the Clark family atwww.labbymemorial.com.