Eugene Ellis Clark

Eugene “Gene” Ellis Clark passed away on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at home with his wife, Jeanette, at his side. He had lived with Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease for eight years. Gene was born in Atlanta, Georgia; lived in South Carolina; and, at age 12, his family moved to Miami, Florida. After high school he went to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and in 1970 graduated with a PhD in Physics. His field was Cosmology. He was then awarded a two-year Fulbright Fellowship to conduct research and teach at the University of London, King’s College, UK. Coming back to the U.S. in 1972, he accepted a position as an assistant professor at St. Mary’s College, St. Mary’s, Maryland. In 1975, Gene moved to San Antonio to become an associate professor at Trinity University in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, where he retired as professor emeritus after 36 years at Trinity.

In high school, Gene focused on academics. He was a member of the Science Club and of Sigma Pi Sigma, the Physics Honorary Society, but he was also on the tennis and swimming teams. His father was an avid fisherman, and they spent many hours together on their fishing boat. As a teenager, Gene took art lessons. Four of his paintings hang on the walls of our home in San Antonio and two additional paintings are at his aunt’s house in Jacksonville, Florida. Gene was in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at the University of Florida and maintained life-long friendships with several of his fraternity brothers.

In his second year at Trinity, 1976, Gene initiated the development of the graduate program in Applied Solar Energy. He applied for and received a $2 million contract from the U.S. Department of Energy for the installation of a solar array on top of the Trinity athletic center building. That contract was followed by other grants and federal contracts over the next decade, including a $1 million contract for construction of a Passive Test Facility on the Trinity campus. Funding for energy conservation dried up in the early 1980s and the graduate program at Trinity ended. The last of the “Solar” students graduated in 1987. As Jeanette recently has tried to put together a list of the Solar Grad students to contact about Gene’s illness, many of them said what a profound influence Gene had on their lives and careers. Those Solar Grad School years were very special for Gene. Gene was considered an expert in passive energy concepts and energy conservation of all sorts and was invited to make presentations at conferences in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. After he retired, he continued his research activities, measuring the impact of clouds and infrared light on our climate.

Anyone who knew Gene well understood that he was the ultimate caregiver. He believed that all of life – humans, animals, plants; all of nature – deserved care and respect. He had a strong sense of responsibility for anyone or anything in need. He lived that caring throughout his many years of working for the betterment of our planet.

On a personal level, Gene cared for Jeanette with a deep love during their 43 years together. Gene and Jeanette met at Trinity University where Jeanette was the sponsored projects accountant. After “chasing” Gene for a couple of years and finally “catching” him, they were married on February 27, 1982. Gene took on the responsibility of becoming a wonderful parent to his two stepchildren, ages 12 and 10 at the time. Gene and Jeanette had/have a very special bond of love.

Gene loved animals and would do anything to keep them happy and healthy. Gene and Jeanette had three dogs for about 15 years and then another two dogs for another 15 years, all beloved. After seeing the care Gene gave to our “four-legs,” Jeanette’s sister, Sue, said that when she got old, she wanted Gene to take care of her! During the 14 years his father was an invalid, Gene and Jeanette went to Miami frequently and did all they could to help with his care. After his father passed away in 1992, they continued caring for his mother, moving her in 1998 to Morningside Manor in San Antonio. Gene was a loving son and caregiver for his mother until she passed away five years later. As his mother passed away, Gene reconnected with her sisters, two elderly aunts in Jacksonville, Florida, and he and Jeanette have taken care of their needs for the past 10 years. As a friend wrote, “[He] was such a sweet, gentle man.”

Gene was a wonderful listener. He could, but generally did not, make “small talk” but would, instead, engage with each person one-on-one, learn about the person and have a discussion wherever the conversation led them. He was truly interested in whomever he was talking with – and he remembered what they said about their lives. A niece commented “Gene was so kind and genuine. I loved how he wouldn’t just listen, but truly wanted to know about you, and I appreciated his life-long love of learning.”

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Ellis Clark and Elizabeth Davis Clark; and his brother Douglas Allen Clark. He is survived by his wife, Jeanette Blanke Burpo Clark; his children, Jeffery Burpo and wife, Melinda; Jill Burpo Shoup and husband, Stephen; grandchildren Ian Burpo, Ellie Shoup, Elena Burpo and Sawyer Shoup. In addition, he is survived by his sister, Pamela Clark Rinker; brothers- and sisters-in law, Grace Nail; Jim Blanke and his wife, Dorann; Sue Potter and her husband, Mike; and John Blanke and his wife, Marla; along with numerous nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

A special thank you to Avionn Health Care and the wonderful caregivers provided for us over the past four years, especially Gene’s (and Jeanette’s) caregivers for the last two years, Michelle Hewitt and Erica Graham. Also, a special thank you to Gene’s Vitas Hospice care team over the past 20 months: Ernest Woods, RN; Kimberly Mays, aide; Emily Davis, chaplain; and Jeff Joseph, the wonderful hospice RN who was with Gene and Jeanette at the end.

Memorial gifts may be made to the University Presbyterian Church Solar Fund (300 Bushnell Ave, SA TX 78212 or online at www.upcsa.org); the American Solar Energy Society (https://ases.site-ym.com/donations/); the Lewy Body Dementia Association (https://www.lbda.org/donate/), or the charity of your choice.