Clark Daniel Shaughnessy Jr.

Clark Daniel

Shaughnessy, Jr.

Clark Daniel Shaughnessy, Jr., 85 of Ocean Springs, passed away on Monday, July 5, 2004. He was born in 1918 in New Orleans and was the son of the late Coach Clark Shaughnessy and Mae Hamilton.

Clark Jr. was the oldest of three children and had two sisters. The household also included Mae's mother, Lou. Coach Shaughnessy, due to his coaching responsibilities, was away most of the time leaving Clark Jr. at home with the four women. Growing up the only male in a house full of women required that he be quick on his feet and hastened his extraordinary athletic development.

His happiest childhood memories were vacationing in Biloxi with the family where he was free to fish, sail, and explore the beautiful Gulf Coast.

Clark Jr.'s senior year in high school, Coach Shaughnessy took a coaching position at Chicago University. Clark Jr. attended Hyde Park High School in Chicago where he was the quarterback of the football team and set a state record in the pole vault as a member of the track team.

After graduating from high school in 1936, he attended UCLA where he met and married Marilyn Dennis of Venture, California. They were happily married for 52 years.

Clark Jr. was a member of the UCLA track team and competed and placed in national track meets. In 1942 he graduated from UCLA with a degree in history.

Leaving college with a love of history, sports and writing, he pursued a career in sports reporting. His first job was at the Santa Paula California Chronicle as a reporter. He later wrote for a Fresno, California newspaper and eventually landed prime positions with the Chicago Daily News and the Akron Ohio Journal as a sports reporter and editor.

In 1950 he fulfilled his childhood dream by returning to Biloxi and purchasing the Biloxi Bulletin newspaper. For two years he was involved in publishing the Biloxi Bulletin, the Keesler News, the Ocean Springs News and his popular tabloid, The Horizon. After two years, due to the changing economic fortunes of the Gulf Coast he discontinued publication of the newspapers and formed Clark D. Shaughnessy Printing Company, from which he retired in 1982 but still kept a watchful eye on the family business.

Clark Jr. and his wife Marilyn were active members of the community. His love of music led him to be a charter member of the Gulf Coast Jazz Society for which he was awarded lifetime membership for his contributions. He was a charter member of the Gulf Coast Hibernia Society for which he was the 1983 Grand Marshall and was given the Golden Shamrock Award for his years of involvement. Clark Jr. was also a Charter Member of the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra and the Ocean Springs Yacht Club. He was a past king of the Mithras Carnival Association and past Commodore of the Biloxi Yacht Club. Clark Jr. was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.

Clark Jr. was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn.

In 1995 Clark Jr. married Marjorie Murphy and they moved to Gulf Hills. Together they enjoyed travel, family and friends.

His survivors include wife Marjorie Shaughnessy of Ocean Springs; daughter Kathleen Shaughnessy Schmitt and husband Ralph of Columbus, GA; sons Clark Dennis Shaughnessy and Kevin Dennis Shaughnessy and wife Kathleen of Biloxi; three grandchildren, James Adkins and wife Becky of Florida, Katelyn and Breann Shaughnessy of Biloxi; and a great grandchild, J.J. Adkins of Florida. Services will be Saturday, July 10, 2004, 1:00 p.m., at Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Biloxi, where friends may call 1/2 hour prior to service time. There will be a reception immediately following the service at DeMiller Hall at the church.