Mr. Dick Clark, 84, of Red Level, died on Sat., Oct. 24, 2009, in a local hospital. Funeral services were held Tues., Oct. 27, from the Fairmount Baptist Church with the Rev. Drexel Copeland officiating. Interment followed in the Fairmount Cemetery.
Mr. Clark was born and reared in Red Level. He attended and graduated from Red Level School. After one year in college at the University of Alabama, he joined the Navy during World War II. After the war the returned home to his father’s business, Clark Hardware, which had been founded by his father in 1916. Dick ran the business until his retirement in 1998. During that time, he started a small construction company doing electrical and plumbing jobs. He eventually grew that company into a very large construction company doing both private and commercial construction. He built many homes, banks, prisons, shopping malls and schools throughout south Alabama during his career.
In Red Level, he built the high school and the gymnasium. Dick cared very much for Red Level and loved the town and its people. He was often the very first to respond to a fire call in the middle of the night. He loved Alabama football and auto racing. He attended the Indy 500 for 52 consecutive years, as well as other NASCAR racing events. He loved his church and was a deacon.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Dot Clark of Red Level; one brother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, Hugh and Jan Barrow of Red Level and Marjorie Barrow Booth of Mobile; four nieces and nephews, Jacob C. Barrow, Lee Ann Barrow Dennis, James Lee Booth and Stephenia Booth Walker; and also six great-nieces and great-nephews.
Pallbearers were Ivan Bishop, Ben Mason, Jimmy Coxwell, Jake Barrow, Barry Clark, Larry Sims, Jim Booth and Charley Cope.
Honorary pallbearers were Jimmy Faulkner, Wallace Fowler, Guy Mason and Robert Foshee Jr.
Family and friends unable to attend may sign the online guest registry at www.foremanfuneralhome.com.