James Herbert Clark

He was born on February 4, 1936, in LaPorte, Indiana, to Champ and Rose (Bashaw) Clark, and later graduated from Macomber High School in Toledo, Ohio.

While serving with the U.S. Coast Guard in Florida, Jim met and married Sharon Townsend of Palm Beach County. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve for eight years.

The first of many family moves began when Jim enrolled in Valparaiso Technical Institute in Indiana. After graduating, he worked for the Philco Corporation, teaching Nike Ajax and Hercules missile systems to NATO officers at the Air Defense School in Fort Bliss, TX. He later earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toledo.

Following his degree, Jim worked as an early computer engineer at the Lawrence Livermore Radiation Laboratory in California and later for Control Data Corporation in Minneapolis, MN. There, he worked closely with Seymour Cray on the CDC 6600, the first supercomputer. When the CDC 6600 was delivered to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, he managed the Computer Center and collaborated with an international team of scientists. He cherished the years spent living in Switzerland and traveling with his family throughout Europe.

Upon returning to the United States, Jim joined the U.S. Department of the Navy’s Electronic Systems Command to work on the Standard Navy Computer. He later served as Division Director of the Naval Sea Systems Command, spending approximately 20 years in Washington, D.C., where he and his wife raised their two daughters in Fairfax, VA.

Jim had many hobbies. He purchased land in the Shenandoah Valley as a “hobby farm,” where he enjoyed fishing, raising beef cattle, and beekeeping.

After retiring from government service, Jim married Mary Woodward Houston and became an innkeeper at his wife’s bed-and-breakfast in Edinburg, VA, close to “the farm.” A lifelong creative spirit, he became a stained-glass artist and painter. His work included stained-glass windows for the Edinburg Methodist Church and many other commissioned pieces.

A lifelong musician, Jim played jazz on keyboard, clarinet, and saxophone. Remarkably, he never learned to read music but played beautifully by ear. He enjoyed performing with various musicians and spent several years playing with a quartet in Naples, FL, near his and Mary’s winter home. Later in life, he also learned to play the harp.

After moving to Williamsburg, VA in 2003, Jim joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary, eventually becoming District Captain–Sector Hampton Roads. He established a Coast Guard Auxiliary detachment for students at the College of William & Mary, which—along with the efforts of a young graduate—expanded to a nationwide program. In 2006, at age 70, Jim was part of a four-member team in the Coast Guard International Search & Rescue (ISAR) competition; after competing with units nationwide, the team became the National Champion. In 2010, he assisted the Coast Guard in establishing a communications facility during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in Biloxi, MS.

In 2016, Jim received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteers from President Obama in recognition of over 15,000 volunteer hours—one of many honors he earned through his Coast Guard Auxiliary service.

Jim was also active in local and national politics and co-chaired the Great Decisions lecture series for the League of Women Voters.

Jim and Mary shared a full and adventurous life together—traveling, kayaking, bicycling, painting, visiting wineries, spending time with family, and constantly reading and learning.

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Mary W. Clark; his brother, John (Karen) Clark; his daughters, Lori (Jeff) Page and Lauren Houston (Sean McQueen); his son-in-law, Brad Pettijohn; grandchildren, Cory Andreen, Robert Pettijohn, Brittany West, Renee Pettijohn, Luke Pettijohn, Alex Pettijohn, Julia Strawhecker, and Caleb McQueen; and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Lisa Clark Pettijohn.

A Memorial Service will be held at Nelsen Funeral Home, Williamsburg, VA on April 11, 2026, at 1:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of James H. Clark to the Williamsburg Regional Library, 7770 Croaker Road, Williamsburg, VA 23188.