Donald Clark

Donald Lucius Clark entered into heaven Tuesday, July 2 after passing peacefully at home surrounded by his family. His life centered on the love for his family and all things outdoors. Don was born December 28, 1932 in Crowley, Louisiana to the late Lucius Leroy Clark and Emethilde Hebert Clark. He was Quarterback of the 1951 Crowley High School football team and proudly served in the United States Army.  Don was a graduate and received his Master’s in Education at McNeese State. As an educator, Don taught science at Oak Park Middle School and LaGrange High School and was the former President of the Calcasieu Teachers Association. He was a former district representative for the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and was formerly a local and state representative of the Travelers Protective Association. 

Don had two great loves of his life; his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth (Betty) Bergeron Clark and the wildlife-rich waterways of southwest Louisiana. Nothing made Don happier than a late afternoon on the marsh with a fly rod filling his boat with bass or bream - or sitting in a cold duck blind on the Chesapeake Bay with a 12 gauge shotgun, a chocolate Labrador and a cup of coffee to keep warm. If you ever asked Don if he caught any fish lately his reply was always, “not since yesterday.”  And when not on the water, he could always be found tying flys in his office. His devotion to Betty Gay was absolute. They married young but stayed together for over six decades, rarely apart from each other except when the fish were biting or the ducks were flying.

In addition to his wife Betty, Don is survived by his two daughters, Dr. Lisa Clark of Lafayette, California; Tina Clark and her husband David Strickland of Houston, Texas; His grandchildren: Julian Ableskamp of New York, New York; William Strickland III and Haley Strickland of Houston Texas; his brother, Richard Dale Clark and his wife Rejena Clark of Townsville, South Carolina; his sister-in-law Wanda Bergeron of Watersound, Florida and numerous nieces and a nephew.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Visitation will be from 9 AM -11 AM Friday, July 6, 2018 at Johnson Funeral Home followed by a graveside service at Consolata Cemetery. Father Anthony Fontenot will officiate.