James H. Clark

James Herbert Clark Jr., 87, born Jan. 24, 1924, died Monday, Feb. 28, 2011, of complications from pneumonia and lung cancer. He lived at the Carmel Home with his wife of nearly 65 years, Martha Heady Clark.

He was born near St. Joseph, Ky., and raised in western Daviess County, and graduated in 1941 from West Louisville High School. He was retired from W.R. Grace Co., and also worked at Westinghouse in Owensboro and at General Motors in Detroit.

He and Martha were a founding family of Immaculate Parish in Owensboro, where they remained members. For more than 40 years, they lived at the corner of Bittel and Carter roads, before moving to Greystone in 1997 and to the Carmel Home in 2007.

He loved fishing and hunting, and took up golf after retiring in 1986 and getting a set of clubs for Christmas. For two decades, he played nearly every day when the weather was good at Ben Hawes Park, usually in the same foursome. He loved beagles, and raised many as hunting dogs, including several named Bo. And he often fished at friends' ponds as well as during the winters he spent in Florida.

He was also a veteran of World War II, earning medals in the U.S. Navy and serving aboard the USS Cincinnati in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters. He loved telling stories about his Navy days, including trading cartons of cigarettes with border guards so they would let him set foot in countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.

He was a Kentucky Colonel. He loved to barbecue chicken, and used a secret family recipe that he always said produced "the best I ever ate." For nearly 30 years, he enjoyed spending spare time helping at the Shady Rest Barbecue Inn, owned by his brother Bobby and friend Frankie Cecil.

James H., as his brothers and sisters called him, married Martha Louise Heady on June 11, 1946, just two months after returning from service.

He loved nothing more than family, and he was the patriarch of a big and fun family. Annual family reunions and barbecues every Labor Day weekend at St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Sorgho would often draw nearly 200 relatives. He knew every single one, and each year, he would make it a point to get around to everyone in attendance.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, James Gregory and Daniel Joseph (Debbie) of Owensboro, and Charles Edward of Birmingham, Ala.; five grandchildren, Leslie (David) Avery, Somer (Justin) Wilhite, Kelli (Devin) McKnight, Brooke (Jarrod) Hagan and Ashley Clark, all of Owensboro; and seven great grandchildren, Madalyn Story, Ethan Avery, Katelyn Wilhite, Makenna McKnight, Kaden McKnight, Kayley Clark and Liam Hagan, all of Owensboro; one brother, Joe Bill (Sherma) Clark of Owensboro; three sisters, Jean Ferrell of Owensboro and Patty (Bernard) Beyke and Mildred Calhoun, both of Sorgho. He is also survived by scores of nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews, all of whom he could name if he thought long enough.

He was preceded in death by one son, James Herbert III, his father James Herbert Clark Sr., his mother Miriam Merimee Clark, a brother Robert Ernest "Bobby" Clark and a sister Naomi Clark Ebelhar.

Visitation will be from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Carmel Home, and then 3-8 p.m. on Wednesday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory, where prayers will be said at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Immaculate Church, 2516 Christie Place, with Father Tony Jones presiding. Friends may call beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Carmel Home, 2501 Old Hartford Road, Owensboro, KY 42303.