William "Bill" Clarke

1934 - 2021

William "Bill" Clarke
March 11, 1934 - August 27, 2021
Fresno, California - Bill Clarke was born into a Scandinavian family of miners and spent his early years in his grandmother's boarding house in Grass Valley. He moved frequently during his childhood living in Richmond, the Fillmore District of San Francisco, and Stockton. He also stayed at the San Francisco Protestant Boys' Orphanage for two years. Bill always credited librarians with encouraging his love of reading and learning. Developing a passion for the game of football in his adolescence, Bill found sports to be a way to learn discipline, focus and teamwork. He graduated from Burlingame High School in 1951 and then attended Willamette College on a football scholarship.
Bill served as a radio operator in the US Marines from 1954 to 1957 and was stationed in Hawaii and Japan. He played on the championship Pacific USMC football team. After leaving the service, he played semi-professional football in the Bay Area and attended community college.
Bill Clarke met Nancy High, his wife of 63 years, during an earthquake in San Leandro in 1957. They married a year later at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Fresno and moved to San Diego where Bill excelled at his studies at the University of San Diego and their son, Rick, was born.
In 1961, Bill and Nancy returned to Fresno. Bill completed his teaching credential at Fresno State and started his teaching and football coaching career at Bullard High School. He transferred to Hoover High School in 1964, where he taught humanities and English. He then moved to Edison High in 1970. Bill was head football coach for two seasons, leading the Tigers to the NYL championship title in 1976. The same year he was named All-Metro Coach-of-the-Year. Bill and Nancy were always generous with sharing their home with dozens of foster youth and foreign exchange students. They famously hosted the entire Edison Tiger football team for Monday Night Football watch sessions for seven years. Bill later returned to Hoover High where he worked in the continuation school and ultimately retired from Bullard in 1994.
After a long teaching career, Bill enjoyed reading, smoking his pipe, drinking good beer, traveling, and fine dining with his beloved wife, Nancy.
Bill is preceded in death by his father, Roland Clarke, and mother, Yvonne Mooers Silva, and brother, Ron. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; son, Rick, and his wife, Belinda of Fresno, and her children Kimmeko, Jesse, Sara, Setareh, and Amin.
Bill is also survived by his daughter, Kris, and granddaughter, Aune, who reside in Finland; and many nieces and nephews.
Bill never was one for formal ceremonies, so the family asks that his friends lift a glass in his memory. As an educator and lifelong reader, Bill Clarke valued libraries. Therefore, the family asks for donations to the Fresno Friends of the Library in lieu of flowers. A special fund has been set up in Bill's name to support local literacy projects. Donations can be sent by check to Friends of the Library PO Box 4532, Fresno 93744 or via their website at https://www.fresnofol.org/donate/