Jack Franklin Clearman

1921 - 2022

Jack Franklin Clearman

Jack Franklin Clearman died too soon in Poulsbo, Washington on December 9, 2021. He was surrounded by his devastated family, all loving and touching him as he passed away. Jack was known for his uncommon civility, cheerfulness, honesty, and work ethic.

Jack Clearman was a mechanical engineer and inventor with over 70 domestic and international patents. He spent the bulk of his career at Whirlpool where he led teams in Advanced Development and Product Engineering. Jack's first invention as a new hire was a pump that could move water forward and backward. The pump revolutionized clothes washing and ended up saving Whirlpool many millions of dollars. At his retirement, he was given a gold-plated pump in honor of his achievement. Jack was Director of Engineering at Whirlpool when he retired the first time. Jack then moved back to his childhood farm where he began to work 12 years as an independent consultant, and then 10 more years doing Intellectual Property and Prototyping work with his son in Poulsbo, WA. Both ventures were very successful. In 2005 he was inducted into the Georgia Tech University Engineering Hall of Fame, one of only three inductees that year. Jack was a natural born designer and the fruits of his relentlessly creative mind resulted in products that are used every day by millions of people.

Jack was born the son of two schoolteachers and principals on a 350-acre farm, pine forest, cattle ranch in Early County, Georgia on April 30, 1921. He describes an adventurous childhood without electricity or nearby neighbors, where any entertainment had to be created from scratch. One of many humorous schoolyard incidents he recalled was wearing overalls with one pocket filled with Strike-Anywhere matches. While playing basketball the matches lit in a burst of flame. Jack had two options: fulfill the nightmare of finding himself pant-less at school, or receive a severe burn. He quickly chose to drop his overalls and his modesty. Jack felt the combination of being toughened up as the principal's son, having to make up his own games, and the hard work of a farm boy, gave him the foundation for the success and character that defined his life.

Jack attended local schools, and upon graduation from high school, he joined his older brother William at Georgia Tech University as an engineering major. He often described how fortunate he felt to have an older brother to show him the ropes as he went through that challenging education. Before he could graduate college, he enlisted in Naval ROTC and then entered the war in the Pacific where he served as a First Lieutenant on a Fletcher Class Destroyer. Jack saw plenty of combat as a Kamikaze fighter, he commanded a battery of 20 mm Auto-Cannons at the stern of the ship (the end Kamikazes preferred to attack from). In teaching his children about fear he said that he was more afraid in the dark of night of an unknown enemy, than facing down a Japanese Zero coming straight at him, all guns blazing and no intent of pulling up. However, the experience Jack spoke of most was working on the USS Bradford and the friendship that he and Captain Warren Armstrong developed that lasted throughout their lives.

The most important day of Jack's life came a little earlier, in the summer of 1943. While on leave from ROTC his family joined other local families gathering at The Turtle Hole, a lovely swimming spot on Sawhatchee Creek. There he met a stunningly beautiful girl also on a college break, Rebecca Barbara Pyle. It was love at first sight. Rebecca and Jack spent the day together and the two young adults fell deeply in love. He asserted they were always together in love since that day. Their marriage lasted 71 happy years until Rebecca's death in 2015.

Jack was cherished by the family he left behind: son and wife Joe and Vikki Clearman of Poulsbo, Washington and their son, Jack H. Clearman of San Francisco, California; daughter Rebecca Ruth Clearman and her husband R. David Decker in Houston, Texas; adopted children Betsy and Darryl Griswold of Atlanta, Georgia, Robert (Bob) J. Fusco of Riverside, California, and Becky Blankenship of Blakely, Georgia; niece Susan Clearman and her wife Mary Wetzel; nephew Tom Clearman, his wife Marie and their sons Will, Matt and their families; niece Stacy Fernandez; nephew Scott and Rhonda Stilwell and their children, Jennifer, Danielle, and Taylor and their families.

A Remembrance Celebration will be held 1pm on April 9, 2022 in Blakely, Georgia. For more information please email Rebecca@Clearman.com or leave a message for call back at Rebecca's office 713-678-0577 for location and details about the event.