Ronald Charles Clarke

Ronald Charles Clarke, a community member of the Carefree and Cave Creek area since 1974, finished his final project and made the transition to his heavenly home on October 16, 2011. Ron was born January 8, 1937 (the same birthday as Elvis!) in Detroit, Michigan to Ivan and Harriet Clarke.

His family moved to Farmington, Michigan where he attended the Farmington schools, met the love of his life, Nancy, and from which they both graduated in 1955. He and Nancy married in 1957, while they were both still in college, but nevertheless the couple graduated on time, Ron with a mechanical engineering degree from Michigan State University in 1959.

After graduation from MSU the pair drove across the country in a classic red and white Chevrolet to San Diego, California to begin their careers. Ron started in the aerospace industry at General Dynamics, and eventually transitioned to Solar Engineering (now Solar Turbines Inc.). Ron and Nancy started their family in San Diego.

Ron moved his family to Phoenix, Arizona in 1969 where he fulfilled his life-long dream of wearing a cowboy hat and boots to work. He worked as a project engineer for AirResearch, which is now Honeywell. He worked on various projects, including gas turbine engines, and truly enjoyed his career, and the wonderful people with whom he had worked.

In 1974, after years of Nancy’s volunteer work for a church preschool, Ron said, “Why don’t you get a job that pays money?” Thus, the family moved to the Cave Creek, Carefree area, where he continued to work in Phoenix, but also worked nights and weekends finishing the home they lived in. Many a load of cement was mixed from the sand in the wash behind the house, a task he repeated numerous times assisting friends and neighbors.

He served Desert Hills Presbyterian Church in many capacities, helping to design the church, and being a strong advocate of leaving the large boulder that now forms part of the church exactly where it was. After retiring from Honeywell in 1997, he served the town of Carefree from 2002 – 2011 on the Planning and Zoning Commission, advocating for the building of the fire station, helping to monitor the town water supply, speaking up for solar energy, promoting the playground at the Town Center, and looking on a daily basis for people who might need a little help with engineering or cement to make their lives easier. His passion projects during those years was the home he built for himself and Nancy and the undergrounding of the utility lines in and around the Town of Carefree. He considered the desert a place too beautiful to be scared by the unsightly poles and wires.

His parents, sister and twin brother preceded him in death. Ron was a role model as a loving and faith filled husband, father, grandfather, brother neighbor, and friend and is survived by his wife Nancy, the mother of his children; daughter Sharon Clarke of Seattle, son Steve (wife Caryn) of Woodbine, Maryland, son Tim (wife Heather) of San Diego, and a grand total of 10 grandchildren. He has many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and other assorted friends and relations located in many states, all of who will miss him greatly.

As he said in his retirement notification letter, written in 1997, “I request that there be…no party…I wish to quietly transition into my new situation.” That was Ron.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of the Valley – Fund Development – 1510 E. Flower St.- Phoenix, Arizona 85014 – or visit- http://www.hov.org/donate.aspx

Things My Father Never Did

by Timothy Clarke

I went home for Easter Sunday

During my senior year of college.

I was at that age

Where only my mother

Could call me a boy.

At one point in the weekend

When I was alone with my father

He tried to apologize

For all the things he had not done

When I was still a boy.

There are many things

My father never did.

He never called me stupid

He never yelled at me or demeaned me

He never clipped my wings

And he never clubbed my head.

There are other things

My father never did.

He never left home

He never came home drunk

He never beat my sister or brother

or my mother

He never failed us.

There is one last thing

My father never did.

He never has told me he misses me

Nor have I said it to him

But I could never doubt that he does

Because I do

And we are two of a similar kind.