Clark Browning

1917 - 2010

Clark Browning, 93, of Ventura died of pneumonia after a short time in the hospital on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010. He leaves his adoring earthly family to be forever with his Lord and his Heavenly family.

He was born May 23, 1917, in Norwalk in the Victorian ranch house which his grandfather had built and where his mother, Carrie Clark, also was born. His father, Herbert W. Browning, was born in Truckee. Clark was very proud to be a second-generation Californian. He leaves his wife, Ruby of Ventura; daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Gus Baglio of Valencia; brother, James of Torrance; three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

He has gone to join his son, Stanley, who died in 2006. Clark grew up in Norwalk, was a Boy Scout, played football in high school and Fullerton Junior College. In 1939 he married his first-grade classmate and high school sweetheart, Ruby Mings, the beginning of a beautiful 71-year marriage.

In 1943 Clark was drafted into the Army and served four years, two of them in the European Theater of Operations. He rose to the rank of Captain. Most of his life was spent in the field of agriculture, purchasing a distributorship of agricultural chemicals in the Palo Verde Valley, where, for 21 years, he sold and applied them.

Clark was a member of Lions International for 48 years, serving as president of the Blythe Lions Club and Ventura Breakfast Lions Club. He had attended three international conventions. He was a Cub Master, a golfer, a bridge player, an avid boater and president of the Blythe Boat Club, and had taught many young people to water ski. During this time he also owned a boat shop. Clark and Ruby traveled to 47 of the United States and many foreign countries. One trip took them to revisit the countries where Clark had served during the war. In 1972 he sold his business to the PureGro Company and transferred to the corporate office in Los Angeles, where he worked until retirement in 1979.

In 1983 Clark and Ruby retired to Ventura, attracted there because of their love of the beach and the friendly people who live there. He immediately plunged into an active life, joining and becoming president of La Estrella Dance Club and Ventura Breakfast Lions Club and was active in the Retired Business and Professional Men's Club. Clark and Ruby were members of the First United Methodist Church where Clark served in many positions including chairman of the Board of Trustess. He spent many hours doing what he loved most, ocean fishing. His second hobby was gardening, growing a variety of vegetables and 28 dwarf and not-so-dwarf fruit trees. He was able to tend his garden and enjoy his visiting blue jays until the last months of his life.

A memorial service will take place 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30, at the First United Methodist Church, 1338 E. Santa Clara St., Ventura.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Special Olympics, the Ventura County Museum of History and Art, 100 Main St., Ventura, CA 93001, or the Endowment Fund, First United Methodist Church.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home and Crematory, 3150 Loma Vista Rd., Ventura. Condolences may be left at www.TedMayrFuneralHome.com.