Clark S. Callahan

Clark was born on October 5, 1944, in McKeesport, PA., he was the son of Clark H. Callahan and Mary Ann Sherman Callahan, who both preceded him in death as did his sister, Shirley Ann Callahan. He is survived by his three children, Laura, Clark A. (Alicia) and Eric (Erin), all of North Myrtle Beach, S.C.; his brother James Callahan (Bonnie) of Lexington, Kentucky; nephew Dean Spatholt (Laura) of Calabash, N.C.; and grandsons Luke Barrett, Evan Barrett, Eric Callahan II and Clark J. Callahan; former wife and mother to his children Debbie Waitzman, her husband Doug of Sunset Beach, N.C.; and former wife and companion LaDane Callahan.

As an infant, Clark was stricken with polio and spent the following year in an iron lung. Despite his health challenges, Clark excelled in school and took a particular interest in art and sports. Unable to play high school football himself, Clark participated by assisting team trainers in football and basketball. He graduated from Coventry High School and studied art and graphic design at The Ohio State University and Cleveland Institute of Art. As a young adult, he worked in management positions in the retail and transportation industries, including Consolidated Freightways in Akron, Ohio.

In 1978, at the persuasion of his father who already lived in the area, Clark moved his young family to North Myrtle Beach, S.C. and opened a small gift shop in Calabash, N.C. Through resourcefulness, hard work, determination and the help of his father and nephew, Dean, Clark made his vision a reality and today, Callahan’s of Calabash has grown to welcome thousands of visitors for more than 40 years.

Clark went on to open a new addition to Callahan’s, the area’s first Christmas shop, St. Nick Nack’s, in 1984.

Dining out being one of his favorite hobbies, he and his nephew Dean decided to make a foray into the restaurant business and believed that a dining venue unlike anything else in Calabash would be the perfect complement to a Callahan’s shopping experience. The Boundary House restaurant opened in 2005. After a few successful years, he and his family opened his namesake restaurant in Little River, Clark’s Seafood and Chop House in 2012 and an adjacent women’s apparel and home accessories shop, Sea Island Trading Company. An opportunity to own and operate a restaurant on the picturesque Calabash riverfront presented itself in 2018 with the opening of The Oyster Rock. Clark was named Brunswick County Chamber Businessperson of the Year in 1995.

A devoted father first, Clark also took great responsibility and devotion towards his more than 300 employees at the various businesses, who affectionately knew him as “Mr. C,” but his generosity and dedication to helping others did not end with those in his businesses. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Clark coached several seasons of Dixie Youth Baseball and supported not only his children who played softball, football, baseball and soccer at North Myrtle Beach High School, but many others as well. From public sponsorships to personal, and many times anonymous donations, his generosity ranged from significant efforts such as rebuilding the North Myrtle Beach High School baseball facility after it was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, to aiding students whose families struggled to make ends meet. Clark was recognized for this generosity by being inducted into the North Myrtle Beach High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.

Clark’s lifelong attitude of fortitude and resilience that helped him build a successful and fulfilling life is what drove him to help others who experienced difficulties in their lives. He had empathy for those who endured unfortunate events he had experienced personally. Having been a child with a chronic medical condition, Clark was a long-time supporter of Make-A-Wish Foundation and Camp Kemo. Knowing the devastating destruction of hurricanes, he offered personal assistance to survivors after Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. Clark believed that his life’s greatest accomplishments were those that helped others and contributed to their quality of life.

His razor-sharp wit, genuine concern for others, love of animals, Buckeye football, golf, and collector cars, along with his authentic charm and magnetic personality, are rare treasures that everyone who knew him will remember fondly.

A memorial service led by his close and personal friend Dr. Jim Mezick, will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, June 7, 2021 at Trinity United Methodist Church in North Myrtle Beach, followed by a reception at Clark’s Seafood and Chop House in Little River, S.C.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Camp Kemo, Prisma Health Midlands Foundation, 1600 Marion Street, Columbia, S.C. 29201 or The Gary Sinise Foundation, P.O. Box 368, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91365, or www.garysinisefoundation.org.

Memories and condolences may be left at www.leefhandcrematory.com

Lee Funeral Home and Crematory of Little River/North Myrtle Beach is serving the family.