WE ARE HERE TODAY TO REMEMEBER A VERY SPECIAL MAN,

JOHN CLARK.  JOHN WILL NOT BE REMEMBERED BECAUSE HE

WAS THE WEALTHIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD, OR BECAUSE HE

WON 3 ACADEMY AWARDS, OR BECAUSE HE WON A NOBEL

PEACE PRIZE.  AS HUMAN BEINGS WE HAVE TROUBLE

REMEMBERING THE HEADLINES OF YESTERDAY AND WHAT

PEOPLE HAD.  BUT WE DO REMEMBER THOSE SPECIAL PEOPLE

THAT CARE THE MOST.  JOHN CARED IN MANY WAYS. 

1.  HE WAS A TEACHER TO SO MANY OF US IN MANY WAYS. 

2.  HE WAS A FRIEND WHO HELPED US THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES.

3.  HE WAS A FRIEND WHO TAUGHT US THINGS THAT WERE WORTHWHILE. 

4.  HE WAS THE KIND OF PERSON THAT MADE YOU FEEL APPRECIATED AND SPECIAL. 

5.  HE WAS THE KIND OF PERSON YOU ENJOYED SPENDING TIME WITH.   

MY POINT IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A REAL

DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE ARE NOT THE ONES WITH THE MOST

CREDENTIALS, THE MOST MONEY, THE MOST AWARDS, THEY

SIMPLY ARE THE ONES WHO CARE THE MOST.  MY FRIEND JOHN

CLARK WAS THAT KIND OF A PERSON AND I WILL NEVER

FORGET HIM OR THE GREAT TIMES WE SHARED AND ALL THAT

HE TAUGHT ME.

“TO JOHN’S IMMEDIATE FAMILY”

JOHANNA AND HER HUSBAND SEAN

JENNIFER AND HER HUSBAND JIM AND THERE TWO CHILDREN (GRAND CHILDREN) ANNA AND JAMES

BECKY AND HER HUSBAND STEVE

SUSIE AND JOHNNY

MANY TIMES JOHN TOLD ME HOW MUCH HE LOVED EACH ONE

OF YOU.  HE WAS SO PROUD OF THE FACT THAT EACH OF HIS 5

CHILDREN HAD GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE AND WERE

SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR RESPECTIVE PROFESSIONAL FIELDS. 

NEVER FORGET HOW MUCH HE LOVED YOU.

OUTSIDE OF FAMILY JOHN HAD MANY SPECIAL FRIENDS.  HE

WAS SORT OF LIKE THE PIED PIPER IN THAT EVERY BODY

WANTED TO BE HIS FRIEND.  HE TOLD ME ON NUMEROUS

OCCASSIONS THAT OUTSIDE OF FAMILY HE HAD 3 SPECIAL

PEOPLE IN HIS LIFE. 

1.BRENDA HIS SECRETARY FOR OVER 30 YEARS.  BRENDA HE LOVED YOU AND APPRECIATED THE JOB YOU DID FOR HIM MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW.  THANK YOU FOR KEEPING HIM STRAIGHT AND FOR BEING HIS FRIEND ALL OF THOSE YEARS.

2.FORREST BOONE WHO HAS BEEN A FRIEND FOR MANY YEARS AND A BOW HUNTING BUDDY WHO ACCOMPANIED JOHN ON MANY TRIPS.  FORREST JOHN LOVED YOU AND APPRECIATED YOU SO MUCH.  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LOVING CARE THAT YOU GAVE JOHN ON MANY OCCASIONS AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE PAST 4.5 MONTHS. 

3.MICKEY WILSON HAS ALSO BEEN A FRIEND TO JOHN FOR A VERY LONG TIME.   MICKEY YOU KNOW THAT JOHN LOVED YOU BUT I WANTED TO TELL YOU AGAIN TODAY.  THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING HIM TO USE YOUR HOME LIKE IT WAS HIS OWN.  HE LOVED GOING TO YOUR RANGE AND HE ENJOYED TEACHING OTHERS HOW TO SHOOT ON YOUR RANGE. 

JOHN WAS ONE OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER

KNOWN.  HE TAUGHT ME SO MANY THINGS.  AFTER BECOMING

FRIENDS WITH JOHN I FOUND OUT THAT HE HAD GRADUATED

FROM UNC LAW SCHOOL.  WELL AT THAT POINT I CONNECTED

THE DOTS ON WHY HE WAS SO SMART.  UNC TENDS TO DO

THAT.  OVER THE YEARS I CAUGHT HIM IN A MISTAKE ON TWO

OCCASIONS.  BEING A UNC GRAD, IT WAS TOUGH FOR HIM TO

ADMIT HE WAS WRONG.  WE HAVE LAUGHED MANY TIMES

ABOUT HIM EVER BEING WRONG ABOUT ANYTHING AND HE

NEVER LET ME FORGET THAT I HAD CAUGHT HIM IN A

MISTAKE.  IT WAS ALL IN FUN.

1966 OVER THE SKIES OF NORTH VIETNAM JOHN WAS A COOL

HEADED CLEAR THINKING LT IN THE NAVY.  HE FLEW BACK

SEAT IN A F4 PHANTOM JET .  AT A VERY YOUNG AGE HE

RECEIVED A COMMENDATION FROM AN ADMIRAL FOR

BEING COOL HEADED AND MATURE BEYOND HIS YEARS.  HE

LEAD HIS SQUADRON BACK TO THE SHIP SAFELY AFTER BEING

ENGAGED BY HEAVY ANTI AIRCRAFT FIRE AND SAM MISSLES. 

JOHN WAS THAT SAME COOL HEADED CLEAR THINKING FRIEND

THAT I HAVE KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS.

JOHN WAS UNIQUE IN SO MANY WAYS.  HE DID NOT LIKE

COMPUTERS, IPODS, CELL PHONES OR ANY OF THE TECHNICAL

GADGETS THAT WE ALL ENJOY.  JUST GIVE HIM A PENCIL AND

PAPER AND HE WAS FINE.  HE DID BREAK DOWN SOME YEARS

AGO AND BOUGHT A CELL PHONE.  HOWEVER, HE WOULD CALL

ME AND IF I DID NOT ANSWER HE WOULD IMMEDIATELY TURN

HIS CELL PHONE OFF TO SAVE TIME.  I GUESS HE FAILED TO

THINK THAT I MIGHT TRY TO RETURN THE CALL.  THAT WAS JOHN.

I AM SURE WE COULD STAY HERE FOR HOURS TELLING STORIES

ABOUT JOHN.  HOWEVER AS WE REMEMBER HIM I WOULD LIKE

FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT HOW HE CARED SO MUCH FOR SO MANY AS HE LIVED HIS LIFE WEARING THE FOLLOWING HATS:

MR. CLARK / JOHN CLARK / DADDY /HUSBAND /SON / GRAND DAD / ATTORNEY CLARK / LT CLARK / UNCLE / BROTHER IN LAW / SON IN LAW / FATHER IN LAW / JOHNNY / FATHER TIME

HE CARED DEEPLY ABOUT PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF WHICH HAT

HE WORE.

THE ONE HAT I HAVE NOT MENTIONED IS HOW I WILL

REMEMBER JOHN.  I WILL REMEMBER HIM AS MY “FRIEND”.

JOHN MAY YOU ENJOY YOUR ETERNAL REST WITH YOUR ONE

AND ONLY LOVE, YOUR WIFE JENNY.  JENNY HAS BEEN

WAITING 9 YEARS FOR THIS DAY SO THAT YOU TWO CAN BE

TOGETHER AGAIN.

I LOVE YOU AND WILL MISS YOU!!!!                    

Father Time

AKA

John Edward Clark

  Wendover Kid