Committal Service with Military Honors for former QMC Board Director from 1970 – 1981
Arthur E. Clark, Jr.
Thursday, July 28, 2011 following 11:00am funeral at St. Luke’s Church in East Greenwich (Section 70 Lot 12 Grave 4)
Arthur E. Clark Jr., 84, of North Kingstown, passed away Sunday at Philip Huliter Inpatient Center in Providence.
He was born in Providence on January 2, 1927 to the late Arthur E. and Claire (San Souci) Clark and was the beloved nephew of the late J. Adolf and Anna (Clark) Johnson.
Foremost in his many lifelong accomplishments, he was most proud of his family. He is survived by four children, Audrey R. Jordan and her husband Lester, David J. Clark and his wife Meryl, Jani L. Cushing and her husband Stanley and Jeffrey A. Clark; eight grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Robert J. Clark and companion Eleanor Welch.
Mr. Clark was a United States World War II veteran serving in the 9th Air Force, Army Air Corps. He received his education from Carson Long Military Institute and Nichols College where he would later serve as Vice Chairman of the Nichols College Board of Trustees.
He was president and owner of J. Adolf Johnson, Inc. Builders, of Johnson-Clark Realty Co. and was a past president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.
In the 1950′s he was elected Majority Leader of the then twenty member Cranston City Council and he served on the Cranston Zoning Board of Review. As Chairman of the Cranston City Property Committee he was actively involved in the initial planning of finance for and construction of the city’s second high school, Cranston West. His lifelong community service brought several distinct honors. As a Co-founder of the Cranston Jaycees he was the first recipient of the Rhode Island State Jaycees Distinguished Service Award and as a member of the East Greenwich Rotary Club he was named five times a Paul Harris Fellow.
His civic involvement also included serving as president of the Executives Association of RI, and as a Trustee for the Rocky Hill School in East Greenwich and for Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery in North Kingstown. He also served on the governing boards of the Plum Beach Club; the Rhode Island Association for the Blind; the Rhode Island Council, Girl Scouts of America and, the South County Council, Navy League of USA.
As a freemason he was a member of Doric Lodge #38 A.F. & A.M., now affiliated with Harmony Lodge #9 F. & A.M, Cranston; the Scottish Rite, Valley of Providence; the Tall Cedars of Lebanon and the Rhode Island Shriners. He presently was also a member of the Scandinavian Home “Gamlas Vanners” Society.
He also was a member of the former Turks Head Club Round Table; the Squantum Association; the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association; the American Legion, Auburn Post #20; the Greenwich Bay Power Squadron; the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Providence; the American Arbitration Association; the Netopian Club of Providence and a charter member of the Gator Creek Golf Club in Sarasota, FL.
His passion for travel brought him around the world visiting seven continents and 132 countries.
His funeral will be held on Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 11:00 in St. Luke’s Church, 99 Peirce Street, East Greenwich. Relatives and friends are invited and may call Wednesday from 5:00 – 8:00 PM at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home, 659 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick. Burial, with military honors will be in Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery, North Kingstown. Memorial gifts made to Home and Hospice Care of Rhode Island or St. Elizabeth Home, East Greenwich would be appreciated.
