Frank Clark

Frank E. Clark, Jr. was born on December 21, 1922 in Crawforsville, Arkansas to Eugenia Wiggs and Frank E. Clark. Frank graduated from high school in 1940 and worked several odd jobs in and around the Memphis, Tennessee area before joining the United States Marine Corps on December 8, 1942. He shipped out the next day to Parris Island, South Carolina. Frank attended clerical school at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and Quantico, Virginia for additional training. He was stationed at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California as part of the Navy V-12 training program, training young Marine Corps officers-to-be. Frank's next posting was to the Hawaiian Islands with the 23rd Regiment, 4th Marine Division. At the end of World War II, Frank served in a military police Battalion before posting to Okinawa, Japan with US occupation forces and then returning home. He was discharged April 1946 in the rank of Sergeant E-5 and immediately headed to Arkansas A & M at Monticello. He graduated from Arkansas A & M in 1949, after marrying Helen Watts on October 10, 1947 in Monticello. Frank re-enlisted into the Marine Corps reserves in November 1947 and was called into active duty at Camp Pendleton, California after his graduation from college. He was discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 1951. Frank and Helen moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico in 1951 after his discharge from the Marine Corps. He began working at the White Sands Proving Grounds with the U.S. Nike program, within the civilian personnel office. He retired from White Sands Missile Range in 1970 and then embarked on a 20 year employment in Washington, D.C. He worked for the Department of Education, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and the Department of State for the remainder of his working life. Frank was a well known trivia hound and a top-notch personal tour guide of all locales traveled or visited and traveling with family and friends was one of Frank's greatest pastimes. In 1995, Frank's wife Helen suffered the first of several debilitating strokes at which time Frank retired and devoted his time exclusively to caring for her until her death in 2005. He was very involved in the local community and was one of the oldest active members of Diablos Perros the local chapter of the Marine Corps League. In 2007, he was one of the inaugural veterans to attend the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. at the invitation of Honor Flight of Southern New Mexico. Frank is survived by his daughter, Gena Clark and granddaughter, Caree Contreras. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Helen, brother William Clark and sister Mary Tucker. Frank E. Clarks' memorial service will be held Monday, August 8, 2011 at 1:30 P.M. at First Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Boutz, Las Cruces. Honor Guard will be provided by Diablos Perros. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in his memory to Honor Flight of Southern New Mexico, Community Foundation of New Mexico, 301 S. Church Street, Suite H, Las Cruces, NM 88001 or First Presbyterian Church. Arrangements are entrusted to La Paz - Graham's Funeral Home, to sign the guest book log on to www.lapaz-grahams.com. 526-6891