David Arthur Clarke, Sr. M.D., (US Army Retired), Age 83, passed away in his home in the Villages, Florida on April 18, 2020. His beloved wife, Eileen, of 48 years was by his side. David's death was due to Parkinson's Disease, resulting from exposure to Agent Orange. After retiring from the U.S. Army he moved to Anniston, AL, then to Colorado Springs, CO and then onto the Villages in 2006. He is survived by his wife, Eileen Clarke; his three sons and two daughters, David Jr. Clarke, Timothy, Kathleen Kelly, Patrick, and Colleen Hegeman and thirteen grandchildren. Born December 17, 1936 in Galveston, Texas. His parents were the late General Bruce Cooper Clarke, and Bessie Mitchell Clarke. Preceding him in death were his brothers: Bruce Jr., Gordon, and their adopted sister Lisa Clark (yes, she married a Clark without the e). David graduated from West Point in 1958, Airborne School 1958, and Ranger School 1959. He received a Masters of Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1963; Vietnam with the Corps of Engineers in 1966; MD Degree from the University of Texas 1970; internship at Fitzsimons Hospital; completed anesthesia residency at Walter Reed in 1974. He loved God, family, and his country. David was an active person. He loved the outdoors. The activities he enjoyed included: bike riding, playing tennis, golfing and rock steady boxing for Parkinson's. He had a private pilot's license and spend some of his time flying little planes. Living in Colorado gave him a love for the mountains and snow skiing. One of the most dangerous words on the mountain were "follow me dad". One of highlights of his professional career as an anesthesiologist was the opportunity to anesthetize a gorilla in Colorado Springs Zoo. John Denver's song Rocky Mountain High sums up David's life so wonderfully: "And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I've seen it raining fire in the sky... You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply... I know he'd be a poor man if he never saw an eagle fly, Rocky Mountain high..." With everything going on in the world right now only God knows when the funeral will be. The funeral mass will be at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Wildwood. At a later time, David will be put to rest at Arlington National Cemetery along with his parents and brother, Gordon. Donations can be made in honor of David to: Disabled Veterans, Chapter 150, PO Box 675, Lady Lake, FL 32158 or to The Michael J. Fox Foundation. There will also be a place for you to pay your respects on the Baldwin Brothers website. www.baldwincremation.com Lastly, in one of his last conversations with Eileen he said, "I love you and the kids." Eileen knew when he added the kids it was his time to pass.

Published in The Anniston Star on May 8, 2020.∼Jun 23, 2020
SP5 US Army