Charles McClellan Clarke

Charles McClellan Clarke, 92, of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, died Monday, November 7, 2022, at Gardens Court Rehabilitation Center. Born December 1, 1929, in Buffalo, NY, he was preceded in death by his parents Hazard McClellan Clarke and Anne Carey Thomas, and his wife of seventy-two years, Elizabeth J. Clarke (Betty), as well as one brother, Joseph Clarke and a beloved son, Michael Clarke. He is survived by a daughter Deborah Clarke and her husband Donald Warfield of Woodbine, MD; a son Thomas Clarke and his wife Beth of Palm Beach Gardens; a daughter Terry Murphy and her husband Charles of Southbury, CT; and a brother Franchard Michael Clarke of North Haven, CT. He was the loving grandfather to four granddaughters: Kelly Clarke Snyder and husband Michael, Robin Ridgway Anglin and husband Sean, Kara Clarke and wife Jennifer, and Olivia Coseo Mansfield and husband Thomas. He is also survived by great-grandchildren Gracen, Palmer, Sydney, Cora, Charlotte, Bowen, and Max. Charlie, also known by family and close friends as Cog, attended Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, VA, after which he went to Thomas Edison Vocational School in Baltimore before enlisting in the Navy in 1948. While serving on the U.S.S. Coral Sea in the Mediterranean, he was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease and received a medical discharge and returned home to Westminster. Settling down in his hometown with his wife Betty, he pursued a career in broadcasting where he became the popular “morning man” at the fledgling radio station WTTR. Self-educated, he eventually assumed the role of chief engineer. In 1964, he and Betty took a leap of faith and moved their young family of four children to Plantation, FL. While enjoying life in sunny south Florida, he continued to explore opportunities in broadcasting where he became instrumental in the start-up of a new radio station in Boca Raton as an engineer and as an on-air personality. After retiring from the radio business, he leveraged his naturally friendly disposition by pursuing various sales positions. His professional life concluded as the maintenance engineer at the Catholic parish St. Clare’s in North Palm Beach where he was also a member. Curious by nature, he was a life-long learner whose interest in electronics and all things technical or mechanical made him the family answer man. He always had a smile and a kind word for everyone he met. As a dad, he supported and encouraged his children and took great pride in their accomplishments. He will always be remembered as a true gentleman whose positive outlook was evident in his frequent expression, “Life is grand!” Interment will be private with a memorial service to be held at a later date. Donations in his memory can be made to the St. Clare Catholic School Fund by visiting www.stclareschool.com or The American Heart Association at www.heart.org

Charles McClellan Clarke

December 1, 1929 - November 7, 2022