Sherryol Clack Sr.

Sherryol Clack Sr. was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

His parents were Presher “P.C.” and Katie Mae Clack. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Clack household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, he was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Sherryol was raised with his older brother, Presher Clack, Jr. after their father passed away in his adolescent years. They were constantly involved in activities together. He and his brother may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but he was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Sherryol was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. He developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. He took part in Centinal High School football. They were the 1966 State Champions. In his spare time he liked building with his father. One of his memorable achievements included 1966 State Champion football team. However, what he enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of him as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Centinal High School in 1967. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite time in high school was lunch. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Newman. Sherryol was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. He always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but he handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, he was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. He seemed to thrive on college reading assignments, something that often bogged down his classmates. He was able to read the material and retain the information in a way that impressed his fellow classmates. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served him well during his college experience. He earned his Associate Degree in Applied Science.

Always considered to be a solid friend, he was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, he was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. One of those friends was LC Redding, who passed 2 weeks prior. Sherryol was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for him to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma.

Sherryol brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. He was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. He was blessed with three children, two sons, Sherryol Jr. and Anthony and one daughter, Shalanda. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, McKayla, Modou and Sherryol III.

Sherryol greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. He enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, he was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was Technician and Mechanic in the aviation field. He was employed for over 20 years at Boeing. Sherryol worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Sherryol was an Army veteran. He was stationed in Germany for a while. He saw action for two tours of duty in Viet Nam. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Sergeant First Class. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, he seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Sherryol found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. He enjoyed All Sports but especially enjoyed watching his favorite teams the Seattle Seahawks and the LA Lakers.

Many organizations were grateful to have him as a member. Sherryol was a proud member of the Masons. He reactivated to the Eureka #30 Lodge and was a founder of the Eureka #30 Lodge High School Scholarship Fund. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Sherryol was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. Not only was he a lifetime philanthropist, he also founded Rubykates first step Disciple home with his daughter for women recovering from abuse. He was a great planner and was incredibly organized. It seemed that he was able to plan any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done.

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Sherryol was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, he preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. He was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Politically, He aligned with the Black Panthers.

Sherryol was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member St John Baptist Church for 10 years and a member of Friendly Fellowship for 20 years. During that time, he was a Deacon. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Sherryol enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. He was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, especially family vacations. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, he always had a back-up plan at the ready, just in case. Besides the family trips, some of his favorite vacation spots included visits to Lake Washington.

Sherryol was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of his favorites was Prince, the cat. They were the best of friends for 15 years.

He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved relocating to Bastrop, Texas. In retirement, he found new pleasure in travelling, membership in the Masonic Lodge and his church. Even in retirement, Sherryol continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

Sherryol Clack Sr. passed away on November 1, 2015 at his home. He is survived by his life partner Donnie, his three children, Sherryol and his wife Jennie, Anthony and Shalanda, three grandchildren, McKayla, Modou and Sherryol the 3rd. He is also survived by his nephew, Darrin and his ex-wife Connie. Services were held at Macedonia Baptist Church in Bastrop, Texas on November 7, 2015. Sherryol received Military Honors and was laid to rest honorably at Fort Sam Houston National Veterans Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Sherryol Clack Sr. he was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.