Rev. Rev. Harold Layton Clark Sr. Sr.

Reverend Harold Layton Clark Sr., of Westerville, Ohio peacefully departed this life and entered the Lord's presence at 7:30PM on Thursday July 24, 2025. He was 89 years old. He was a good and faithful servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Harold was surrounded by the love of family and friends, spouse, his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews as he took the Lord's hand.

Harold was born on June 18, 1936, in Midland, Texas, to Ralph Earnest Clark Sr. and Frances Marguerete Clark (née Eagle) who are both deceased. He was married to Ms. Mary Charlotte Clark (nee Landolt) on June 3, 1960, and was proceeded in death by her on Dec 15, 2017. They were married for 57 wonderful years and raised three sons. Harold later married Ms. Nancy Kabia Clark of Westerville, Ohio, on January 28, 2023; she survives him. Harold is survived by his three sons: Harold Layton Clark Jr., residing in Shacklefords, Virginia, with his wife Teresa Ann Clark (née Granger); Ralph Dale Clark of Westerville, Ohio, whose late wife was Nancy-Dawn Clark (née Patterson), and who is now engaged to Christin Lawrence; and Joel Victor Clark of Bloom Township, Ohio, along with his partner Pamela Vincent. He is survived by his granddaughter Lija Kaleps-Clark of Bexley and her husband Brian Noethlich; great-grandsons Atis George Noethlich and Roman Giulio Noethlich; granddaughter Ashley Madison Clark of Providence Forge, Virginia, with great-granddaughters Isla Rose Trowbridge and Cora Mae Trowbridge; grandson Aris Kaleps of San Francisco and his fiancé Laith Nuqul; granddaughter Kerrianna Clark Neilson (née Clark) of Knoxville, Tennessee, and her husband Christopher Robert Neilson; great-grandsons Everette Christopher Neilson and Clark Robert Neilson; granddaughter Faye Victoria Clark of Columbus, Ohio; grandson Elliott Clark of Denver, Colorado; granddaughter Justine Mae Delancey Clark of Newark, Ohio; and grandson Colin Foster Rand Clark of Westerville, Ohio.

Harold received his Master of Divinity Degree from Austin Theological Seminary, was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister of the Word and Sacrament in 1957 and served as a Pastor for 57 years. He last served the congregations of Whisler and Kingston Presbyterian Churches in Ohio. He also obtained his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Houston and served as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Case Manager in the states of Texas and Ohio and ultimately served as the Director of the Children Services Abuse Unit in Franklin County, and as Director of Children's Services for Fairfield County, Ohio before retiring.

Though Harold had been an outdoorsman and had even hunted rattlesnakes as a teenager (as corroborated by his mother) and had worked with his older brother Ralph Earnest Clark Jr (deceased), for their father in the oilfields of West Texas, he chose very early to serve the Lord. Aside from developing his singing and homiletic skills as a minister, he became a great story-teller. He loved to share colorful and fanciful stories (many of which were true) of the family to the family and was always popular with the children and grand-children during summer visits to Grandpa and Grandma's house.

The children and grandchildren shared their individual accounts of episodes in their lives with their father and grandfather, and shared his endearing traits, qualities, and activities in group text messages. It was obvious in reading them that they all knew they were loved by him and that they loved him a great deal as well. It was also obvious to everyone that came in contact with Harold, that he loved the Lord and loved all of God's children.

Harold has left a legacy of kindness, compassion, and supportiveness that has inspired them (and all of us) to be better human beings. A theme emerged from the writings of his children and grandchildren that no matter who he was talking with, Harold always made sure they felt like they were important, valued, and loved. Harold had, as a minister, husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, nephew and son solved the question what to do with the talents in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, "Well done good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your master."

A service for the Celebration of Life and Witness to the Resurrection will be held at Central College Presbyterian Church, Westerville Ohio on September 20 at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Immigration Ministry at Vineyard Columbus.