Clark McCleary

1936 - 2025

Clark McCleary
11/08/1936 - 10/20/2025
Clark Bruce McCleary died peacefully, fully on his terms and a cherished one-of-a-kind legend to the end, in Houston, Texas, on Monday, October 20, 2025, at the age of 88.

Clark lived a meaningful, extraordinary life. Clark was a throwback to a bygone era. He was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. Clark worked at his cousin's dairy at the age of eight, awakening at 4 am to ride his bike three miles, even in the winter, to wash bottles and drive the milk delivery truck. During high school, Clark also worked at The Duck Creek Golf Course, where Clark developed his lifelong love-hate (mostly love) relationship with the game of golf. Though unable to play most of his senior year due to a broken hand, Clark showed great promise as a high school basketball player after growing seven inches between his sophomore and junior years. He received a scholarship to play varsity basketball at the University of Northern Iowa, where Clark was an all-conference player and obtained a B.A. in Education. There Clark met the beautiful and artistically talented Judith Lou Johnson on a blind date. Clark and Judy (known to her grandkids as "Chuey") married on graduation day and enjoyed a wonderful sixty year marriage filled with love, travel, great stories, and friendships.

Clark taught English and coached high school baseball and basketball in Iowa for eight years, the last four of which were spent at Washington High School in Cedar Rapids. Clark's last baseball team finished with a 24 and 2 record and a District Championship, and the last basketball game he coached was for the Iowa State Championship. After college, Clark played on an AAU basketball team that qualified for the 1960 Olympic tryouts.

Clark left coaching just before turning thirty, beginning a career in the insurance business to better support his wife and three children: Roger McCleary (Houston), Susan Rydell (Amelia Island, FL.), and Karen Smith (Georgetown, TX.). After brief sales management stints in Springfield, Illinois and Omaha, Nebraska, Clark moved his family and his firm, McCleary & Associates, to Houston in 1972. Clark's firm specialized in business continuity and compensation planning for businesses and estate planning for business owners, with a focus on life insurance. Clark was justifiably proud of his role in providing financial security to widows, families, and businesses in need of often sophisticated life insurance protection.

Clark was an icon in the insurance and financial services industries, and he was a sought after speaker. Clark spoke before professional organizations in over forty states and the District of Columbia. Clark was a member of and ably led numerous professional organizations. Clark was the 1999-2000 national President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals (formerly the American Society of CLU & ChFC), a 32,000-member organization of credentialed insurance and financial advisers. He was also a past President of the Society's Houston Chapter. In 1991 Clark received the prestigious Benjamin N. (Woody) Woodson Award for outstanding service to the community and insurance industry. Clark was a past president of the School of Insurance and Financial Services at the University of Houston and the Houston Business and Estate Planning Council, a charter member of the Houston Association of Life Underwriters' Hall of Fame, and a Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table. He also served a three-year term, from 2000 – 2003, on the board of directors for the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE). In 2005 Clark was the recipient of the John N. Neighbors Award, presented by the Houston Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors for outstanding contributions to the community and industry. In October 2006 Clark was awarded the first ever Kenneth Black Leadership Award by the Society of Financial Service Professionals. Clark was one of two national recipients from the profession to be awarded the Distinguished Advanced Estate Planner designation by the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (NAEPC). He was also the recipient of NAEPC's 2024 Hartman Axley Lifetime Service Award. More important to Clark than his many professional accolades, Clark and Judy attended many industry meetings over the years and developed close friendships with his colleagues around the country. Still enjoying his profession, Clark continued to work part-time until only two weeks before his death.

Clark was extremely intelligent, witty, capable, and active almost to the end. He was the rock of his extended family. Clark was known to many as "Mr. Wizard" for his depth of knowledge and great judgment. Clark enjoyed spending time with his family, playing bridge with his neighborhood bridge group, often driving, dining with, and assisting group members in need. Clark also enjoyed playing golf with Roger almost every weekend at Lakeside Country Club, where Clark routinely hit 250+ yard drives until very recently. Clark and Roger witnessed each other's holes-in-one and took an epic trip to Scotland in 2008, where they played St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and other famous courses (and drank more than a little Scotch whiskey). While Clark was the epitome of a calm and collected leader, he was highly competitive and admittedly could not always manage his standards of perfection on the golf course, where even a great shot was "just one groove off" and a bad shot was followed by a choice word or club flip.

Before Judy died a month prior to hurricane Harvey leaving seven feet of water in their home, Clark's loving dedication to Judy's care, as a diabetic for three years after an extensive surgical procedure for pancreatic cancer, was nothing short of heroic. Clark dealt with the loss of Judy and his home with his usual strength of spirit, poise, and strong character. Rather than lament past misfortunes, Clark celebrated the many blessings of his life. He sometimes stoically observed that "It is what it is" and "We do what we have to do."

Clark later enjoyed a close five year companionship with Ray Taggart Chilton, also a beautiful and sweet lady, with whom Clark shared many great times and trips. Clark also greatly enjoyed and appreciated his close relationship with Ray's brother, George "Tag" Taggart (who, after Clark made an offer of Tag's favorite Macallan 12 double cask single malt Scotch, thankfully didn't fire his pistol at Clark's feet as Tag had done to one of Ray's college suitors), and Tag's wife, Dana, in Rockport, TX., and with Ray's children, Katherine (Austin), Linda (Houston), and Dr. Cole Thompson (Houston) (who provided incredible and much appreciated medical care and attention to Clark during Clark's brief battle with esophageal cancer).

Clark was also preceded in death by his parents, Leroy E. and Irma E. (Bohnsack) McCleary, and Clark's younger brother, Daniel J. McCleary. Clark is also survived by his eight grandchildren: son Roger and his wife Mary Kathleen's four children, Lauren Little (Harrison), Andrew McCleary, and Rachel McCleary of Houston, and Ryan McCleary (Andrea) of Birmingham, Alabama; daughter Susan and her husband Roger's two children, Katie Rydell (Lannie) of New York, N.Y., and Peter Rydell (Kelly) of Charlotte, N.C.; and daughter Karen and her husband Corvey's two children, Kyler Smith of Leander, TX., and Madison Smith of Chicago, IL. Clark had eight great grandchildren: Elaine, Landon, Thomas, and Alice Little of Houston; Scarlett, Oliver, and Jasper McCleary of Birmingham, AL.; and Larson Rydell of Charlotte, N.C.

The McCleary family greatly appreciates the compassionate and quality support and care afforded by The Doliver of Tanglewood Senior Residence and by Houston Hospice. Clark chose not to undergo chemo and radiation treatment, bravely taking control over his final chapter in Clark's usual clear-eyed manner. Clark was a hero and inspiration to his family, friends, and professional colleagues. Clark lived life "his way" and he lived it well.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to the cancer charity of your choice.