Stephen Love Clarke

Stephen (Steve) Love Clarke, age 75, of 100 Warley Circle, Cary, NC, passed away on Friday, August 21st. He was born on November 9, 1950, in Hendersonville, NC, to Anne Mae Featherstone Clarke and Harry Croswell Clarke. He was married to Kathryn (Kathy) Edwards Clarke.

Steve graduated from Hendersonville High School in Hendersonville, NC. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from California State University, Hayward, and a Master of Electrical and Computer Engineering from North Carolina State University. He later earned a Master of Accountancy from North Carolina State University. He spent the bulk of his career in the computer industry, first as a hardware engineer but primarily as a software engineer. He spent two years in the accounting field after acquiring his NC CPA certificate before returning to software engineering.

Steve grew up with his four siblings in an idyllic setting in the mountains near Hendersonville, NC. They lived next door to their grandparents on a large piece of property consisting of a family farm, a summer camp for vacationing visitors, and a pond and wooded mountainside. As a child and early teen, Steve helped his grandfather on the farm (and got to drive the vintage Willys Jeep), served as a counselor at the summer camp, and swam in the pond and hiked in the woods around the property with his siblings. Steve was a Boy Scout (with his dad as the troop leader), and in his teenage years he served as a counselor at a camp for underprivileged kids. He attended Hendersonville High School, where he was one of the cool kids, a good student, and an exceptional athlete. He was a sprinter and set the school record for the 440 yard dash. He placed second at the NC high school state track and field championships for that event and went on to receive a track scholarship at the University of South Carolina.

Steve loved science and mathematics and decided that he would parlay that love into a career in computer science. Although sidetracked a couple of times, he completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in that field and went on to work for a variety of tech companies, large and small, in different areas of the country. Somewhere in that sequence he met and married Kathy (they recently celebrated their 47th anniversary). Wherever he lived while pursuing his education or working as an engineer, Steve turned it into an adventure, and together he and Kathy made the most of exploring and enjoying the sights, entertainment, and outdoor activities near their home at the time (San Francisco Bay Area; New Jersey/New York City area; Lynchburg, Virginia). They finally settled for good in North Carolina—where they had roots and family—in the Raleigh and Cary area.

Steve was always interested in new activities and adventures. He had a dogged determination to achieve whatever goal he set for himself. He knew no limits and believed he could conquer any new intellectual or physical activity or endeavor with a combination of careful research, his sharp intelligence, his athletic prowess and his iron-willed determination and discipline. He took up motorcycle riding for a while (to the consternation of most family members). He and Kathy learned to scuba dive and took extended dive trips around the Caribbean. Steve’s brother Jamie and his wife Eleanore, avid outdoor enthusiasts, got Steve and Kathy interested in rafting and backpacking; together they braved and enjoyed trips on the Salmon River (Frank Church Wilderness), the High Sierra Loop in Yosemite (twice), the Salkantay Trail and Inca Trail (destination Machu Picchu) in Peru, a rim to rim backpacking trip through the Grand Canyon, and the Alta Via No. 1 in the Dolomites (Italian Alps). There were other activities and adventures throughout his life, but these were some of the ones Steve cherished the most.

Steve is survived by his wife Kathryn (Kathy) Clarke of Cary, NC. He is also survived by his brother Jamie Clarke (spouse Eleanore; children Jeffrey, Brian, and David), sister Susan Bailey (spouse Joe; children Bevin and Beth), sister Shirley Whittington (children Stephanie and Kristin), sister-in-law Ann Clarke (children Katherine, Andrew, and Benjamin), sister-in-law Gay Edwards (children Zachary and Alyssa), and brother-in-law James Edwards (children David and Cameron). He is also survived by 13 grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was pre-deceased by his brother Sam Clarke.

A celebration of his life will be held in Hendersonville, NC on Friday, November 27, 2026 at Curations, located at 417 7th Avenue East, Hendersonville, NC 28792, beginning at 12pm. Join us if you can in this beautiful event space in a renovated building in the heart of the historic Seventh Avenue Business District to celebrate the life of this beautiful person. Food and beverage will be provided for this informal, relaxing celebration. Put away your dress-up clothes and come in your comfortable, casual attire, which is what Steve would have preferred.

There will be only a short informal program beginning around one o’clock where family members and friends are invited to share their memories of Steve. But the point of our celebration is to bring family and friends together. While we share our sadness at his passing, we will share the joy that he brought to life and the comfort and joy we have in each others’ company.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Steve’s name to:

• SPCA of Wake County, 200 Petfinder Lane, Raleigh, NC (spcawake.org/ways-to-give)

• The V Foundation, 14600 Weston Parkway, Cary, NC 27513 (v.org/ways-to-give)