Bill passed from his earthly life to the glory of heaven on Thursday, January 14, 2021 after a valiant battle with COVID-19. He was born on October 28, 1935 in Memphis, TN to Richard Green Clarke Sr and Victoria Williams Clarke.
Bill was a life-long Memphian, born and raised in the Raleigh Springs area. He attended Raleigh and Bartlett schools before eventually attending and graduating from Sewanee Military Academy. After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving for four years at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX carrying out his duties as a Military Training Instructor (Drill Instructor) and attaining the rank of Airman 2nd class. After his military service he returned to the mid-south and began a six-decade career in the construction industry beginning at Windsor Door Company. He then owned and operated Installers Inc. and The Clarke Corporation before finding his true calling in construction and contractor sales within the retail environment starting at Central Hardware and continuing to Payless Cashways and Home Depot. For the last 11 years “Mr. Bill” could be found at Lowe’s in Collierville working at the Millwork Desk.
Bill’s vast knowledge in the construction industry and the dedication to his craft resulted in numerous career successes and an extremely loyal customer following. His infectious personality, sly sense of humor and knack for putting those that he encountered at ease were true gifts.
As a widower for the last 29 years, Bill was a very self-reliant and independent person. He was methodical and highly organized both at work and home which are skills that were engrained in him as a young man during his military days. He enjoyed a good card game (poker or blackjack), watching the Golf Channel, Blue Bloods or The Cooking Channel and passing on his impressive knowledge of construction to family and friends.
Having a nice meal was also high on his list of pleasures. You could often find Bill at The Silver Caboose in Collierville eating a good home cooked meal or proudly introducing his family to the wait staff and patrons. Bill was also an excellent cook and loved being at home in the kitchen. Whether he was cooking for just himself or baking his famous ham for the whole family to enjoy, when you heard whistling coming from the kitchen, you knew Bill was in his happy place.
Everywhere he went in Memphis and the surrounding areas, he seemed to know someone and would have a story to tell or a memory to share. He truly never met a stranger and could make you smile with a simple one liner.
Up to the very end, even at 85 years old, “Mr. Bill” drove his Cadillac to work and was working 40 hours a week at Lowe’s in Collierville. His stamina had waned, and he required the use of an electric cart to move around the store but the work ethic, drive and dedication that he had learned and exhibited as a young man was still ever present.
Bill was a loved and loving husband, father, granddaddy, brother, father-in-law, and friend to so very many. In addition to his parents and stepfather Lee G. Hill, Bill was predeceased by his brother Richard (Dick) Green Clarke Jr. and sister Rosalind Rogers Reed. Bill was also predeceased by his wife JoAnn with whom he shared his surviving son Douglas (Doug) Richard Clarke (Phyllis) and daughter Christine Clarke Adams (Doug) both of Germantown, TN. Bill is also preceded in death by his first wife Virginia with whom he shared three surviving sons Will-Mercer (Butch) Green Clarke Jr. of Pensacola, FL., Joseph (Joe) Alan Clarke (Cathy) of Mobile AL, and Paul Bradley Clarke (Julie) of Scottsboro, AL. Also left to cherish his memory are adult grandchildren Ashley Mahmood (Imran) and Courtney Clarke both of Germantown, TN, Caleb Clarke of Mobile AL, Matthew Clarke of Scottsdale, AZ, Ryan and Tyler Adams of Germantown, TN, and great-grandchildren Taylor and Caleb Mahmood of Germantown, TN.
Due to current COVID-19 restrictions a graveside service for immediate family only will take place at Elmwood Cemetery on Tuesday, January 26th. The family however would like to invite friends and other family members to pay their respects by watching the graveside service on the internet. Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens will be offering a Live Stream of Bill’s service beginning at 2pm on Tuesday January 26th via Facebook Live through this link: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/bartlett-tn/will-mercer-clarke-10002628
In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A memorial fund has been established at St. Jude to honor Bill Clarke. Please use this link to make your donation: https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/GiftFunds/GiftFunds?px=6904456&pg=personal&fr_id=39300
