Ray Clark

1940 - 2026

Ray Kenneth Clark, a Jenks, Oklahoma, native known to those who loved him as Punk, Daddy, Papa, Uncle Ray, and even Crash Clark, was called to his heavenly home on February 24, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 85 years old, and he lived those years with purpose, courage, and a generous heart.

Ray was born on August 3, 1940, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to Richard Wiley Clark and Virginia Ruth Bolt. He was raised in Jenks where he excelled in school and sports. He played baseball and football, starting at quarterback his senior year. He grew up with a quiet strength and a deep sense of duty that would define the rest of his life. That sense of duty led him to serve his country as a paratrooper, Army Ranger, and helicopter pilot in the United States Army. Ray served two one-year tours in Vietnam, where he flew Huey helicopters into some of the most dangerous conditions in the Vietnam War. He was shot down or forced into emergency landings five times, and, remarkably, no one in his helicopter suffered serious injury. That wasn't just luck. That was Captain Ray Clark at the controls. His bravery and skill earned him several medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. His fellow soldiers trusted him with their lives, and he never let them down. The nickname "Crash Clark" was earned the hard way, and he wore it with a grin.

After the war, Ray carried those experiences with him, not as burdens to hide but as stories that needed telling. He became a published author, writing "Just Let Me Walk Away," a harrowing and deeply personal account of his combat tours in Vietnam, as well as "Poems of War, Love and Life," a collection that reveals the tender, reflective side of a man who had seen the worst the world could offer and still chose to see its beauty.

And beauty mattered to Ray. He was an accomplished ballroom dancer who moved across the floor with the same confidence he brought to a cockpit. He was an avid golfer, runner, and cyclist, a man who believed that staying active was just another way of staying alive in the fullest sense. He was principled and wise, the kind of person others turned to for counsel and who showed up when it mattered.

Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Virginia; his sister, Winona Gail Holliday; and his granddaughter, Kacie Ellis McKnight. He is survived by his daughters, Pamela (Jeffrey) Blacet and Terri (Randal) Penrice; his son, Kenneth Clark; his sister, Norma Clark; and his brother, Jerry (Linda) Clark, along with a wide circle of family and friends who will carry his memory forward.

Funeral services will be held Friday, March 20, at 2 p.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery Chapel in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with grandson Clark Beckham of Nashville officiating. A graveside service will follow. Pallbearers will be Kenneth Clark, Paul Clark, Christopher Ellis, Michael Ellis, Virgil "Skip" Humbyrd, and Jax McKnight.

Ray lived his life with the kind of faith that showed up in how he treated people, in the grace he extended to others, and in his quiet trust that God had a hand in guiding him through even the darkest moments.

Ray once wrote, "Make your life extraordinary." He certainly did.