Robert "Jack" John Clarke II's Obituary
Robert John “Jack” Clarke, 95, passed away at home on Sunday, October 20, 2024, under hospice care, with his beloved wife of 75 years, Barbara, at his side.
Jack was born on June 24, 1929, in Staten Island, NY, after his parents, Robert John “Bob” and Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Fergus) Clarke and sister, Alice, immigrated from Belfast, Ireland. He would often tell people that he was conceived in Ireland and born in New York. He was always proud of his Irish heritage and never missed an opportunity for a St. Paddy’s Day celebration; later on, reminding everyone of that by his plentiful Facebook posts.
Jack grew up in Windsor, Ontario, after his parents would follow extended family to Canada. In his early years, you would find Jack playing the sports he loved, basketball, baseball, football and even on the golf course, where he would also like to caddy earning an extra $1.50 a day. Enough to possibly take his high school sweetheart, Barbara Lorongeau, out to the movies. It wouldn’t be long before he would marry that girl and go on to have five children.
Jack worked at the U.S Rubber Co. (Uniroyal Tire) in Detroit, MI, as a sales account manager. After commuting from Windsor for a few years, he decided to relocate his young family to Michigan, which would remain his home base. While work and retirement would eventually take him to Massachusetts and Florida, Jack and Barbara eventually settled back in Michigan to remain near family.
In retirement, Jack enjoyed fishing, hunting, watching sports and, of course, golfing. He was proud of the hole in one he made at the age of 80. Jack loved his community, where he was a member of the Onsted Kiwanis and enjoyed volunteering with “Meals on Wheels”. As he began to slow down, he could be found doing crossword puzzles, scratching off his favorite lotto tickets, bird watching and catching up with all the adventures and activities of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Jack had a wonderful life full of love from beginning to end and we all will cherish the memories we had with him.
Jack is survived by the love of his life, Barbara; daughter, Pamela (Chris) Malcolm; son, Robert John (Shirlann) Clarke; grandchildren, Scott (Tammy) Bryant, Kelli (Lavelle) Bryant, Kerri (Tom) Chapman, PJ (Ray) Tessier, Sarah (Jeremy) Symington, Christian (Jen) Malcolm, Robert John “Rob” (Melissa) Clarke, Emily (Chris) Truant; sister-in-law, Noni (Terry) Jenkins; 14 great grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and his dog, Button.
In addition to his parents, Jack was preceded in death by his sister, Alice Lazurek; daughter’s, Carol Ann Bryant and Barbara Jill Bingham; son, Blair Clarke; sister-in-law, Bunty Paterson; great grandchild, Ryan Bryant; many uncles, aunts and cousins.
A celebration of his life will be planned at a later date. Cremation has taken place.
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