Obituary of Reed Lafayette Clark

Reed Lafayette Clark, Jr., Eugene, died February 24, 2011 of age-related causes. He was 75. He was born January 1, 1936 in Lebanon, Oregon, where he won the Baby Derby as the first baby of the year. His parents were Reed Lafayette Clark, Sr. and Estelle Gloria Johnson, both graduates of the University of Oregon. He was raised in Walla Walla and attended Washington State University. After serving in the Marine Corps for two years, he graduated from Central Washington University with a major in economics and a minor in psychology. Returning to Walla Walla in 1961, he was employed as a social worker, after which he worked for a period in road construction before taking a job with an industrial laundry. In 1967 he was transferred to Eugene, where he retired from the same company in 1993. He married Donna Saxby in 1959, and they were later divorced. He married Sharon Harrelson in 1982, and she died in 2008. He was a champion golfer and won the city tournament in Walla Walla when he was 18. He set the course record at the Neskowin Beach Golf Course in 1960, including a one-stroke penalty for a creek ball, which has never been broken. He was also an avid hunter, fisherman, gardener, and Oregon Ducks fan. He is survived by his brother, Daniel Clark of Walla Walla; his three children, Cathy Clark Trower of Medford, Reed Lafayette Clark, III and Candy Clark Brentano of Eugene; three stepchildren, Joni Tremel, Sheri Francalancia and Cindy Harrelson; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5 at the Chapel of Memories at 225 S. Danebo, Eugene. Memorial donations may be made to Greenhill Humane Society of Eugene.