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THOMAS CLARKE

1932 - 2018

THOMAS CLARKE obituary, 1932-2018, Washington, DC

BORN

1932

DIED

2018

THOMAS CLARKE Obituary


THOMAS CRAWFORD CLARKE  February 7, 1932 - October 6, 2018  
Thomas Crawford Clarke, 86, passed away on October 6, 2018 at the Halquist Memorial Inpatient Center in Arlington, Virginia.Mr. Clarke moved to the area in 1993 after having retired as senior vice president and general counsel at Clark Equipment Company, headquartered in Buchanan, Michigan. Residing first in Easton, MD, he moved to Washington in 2012. Throughout his life, Mr. Clarke was actively engaged in civic affairs. While living in Easton, he served on the board of directors of the St. Michael's Maritime Museum and Caribbean Conservation Corporation. During the 1960s and 1970s, he served on the board, including as president, of Brandywine Community Schools, located in Niles, Michigan. With friends he founded a Niles, Michigan chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Church, which has since disbanded. Mr. Clarke attended Harvard College through a scholarship from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and graduated in 1953. He served as an officer of the United States Navy, stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Upon his return to civilian life, with the rank of Lieutenant JG, he attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1959.Mr. Clarke is survived by his wife, Robin Rowan Clarke. He is also survived by his four daughters from his first marriage to Margaret Slaybaugh (Larson) and their husbands: Margaret Clarke (Timothy Richards), Washington, DC; Rebecca Clarke Foster (David Foster), St. Joseph, Michigan; Jennifer Clarke (Alan Barstow), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Amy Clarke Shaffner (Michael Shaffner), Conifer, Colorado. He is also survived by eight grandchildren. His family and friends remember him for his boundless curiosity about the world. He was equally interested in history, literature, words, geography, art, architecture, music, civil rights, and the natural world. He loved inventing and playing games and puzzles, first with his children and then with his grandchildren.The family will hold a private memorial service in Washington, DC. Contributions may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union or the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Published by The Washington Post on Oct. 9, 2018.
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5 Entries

My deepest sympathy to the Clarke family. Take as much time as you need to cope with your grief and always look to God, who loves us, for everlasting comfort. (2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17)

October 9, 2018

I am sorry for the loss of your love one. May God provide strength and comfort to the family during this difficult time in your lives.

October 9, 2018

My condolences to the Clarke family. We have to take comfort in the scriptures and d as the Apostle Paul said Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. Colossians 3:15

October 9, 2018

Peggy Lehmann

October 9, 2018

Grief can be so very hard, but our special memories can help us to cope. Remember them today and always. 1 Corinthians 15:26.

BM

October 9, 2018

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