Ross Thomas Clark

Ross Thomas Clark of Greenville, OH passed from this life on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at the magnificent age of 100. Born on 2/5/1922 in Huntington, IN, to Harvey & Gertrude Clark, Ross was one of 11 children which included four sets of twins (and a place in Ripley’s Believe It or Not!). The twins were featured at many Twin Conventions throughout the United States and the three sets of boys eventually started their own basketball team, The Clark Twins. They won several Family Championships, were featured in Life Magazine and soon became noticed by Abe Saperstein of the Harlem Globetrotters. Abe hired the Clark Twins to travel and play against the Globetrotters for three years from 1948-1951 as they traveled domestically and internationally. While playing at the Berlin Stadium, they set a Guinness Book of World Records for the most in attendance at an outdoor basketball game. He met Jesse Owens and walked the stadium with him while hearing about his 1936 four gold medals at that stadium. They became lifelong friends. While in Rome, they were granted a private visit with Pope Pius XII. Ross served as a clerk typist in the Army Air Corps during WWII in the Panama Theater. It was during his time in Panama that he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and that set the tone for the remainder of his life; he never looked back on his promise to serve and love. Rusty worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and went on a blind date with a beautiful red head, Jacqueline Jeanne Jacquette. Six weeks later they were married and remained devoted to each other for 67 years until her death in 2013. To say Rusty had a story book life is an understatement. He lived each day with joy and intentional purpose. He never met a stranger and encouraged everyone to do their best, never give up, keep moving and drink plenty of water.

Rusty retired from Wright Patterson Air Force Base as a civil servant in 1972 and moved to Ft. Myers, Florida. At church one Sunday an opportunity was given to go to Zimbabwe and dig water wells. He had experience with diesel equipment so off they went to Zimbabwe for two months to dig water wells. And, in usual Rusty style, they stayed for two years as he became the groundskeeper and diesel mechanic for Chidamoyo Christian Hospital. Throughout his life, he engaged people in conversation and he took the role of devil’s advocate to be certain you believed what you said. He was ornery and had a genuine giggle along with a sharp mind. The older he got, the more he enjoyed telling his life story. Awards were part of his life, not because he was a super star but because he excelled at living life. Greenville honored him as the YMCA Man of the Year and the Cincinnati Reds honored him as their Hometown Hero. He loved doing puzzles in his later years and had a house rule, “If you come to visit, either put in a piece of puzzle or read me a Scripture.”

Living 100 years afforded him many opportunities to serve others and he grabbed them all: member of East Main Church of Christ, deacon, elder, Sunday School teacher, doing crafts alongside his wife, giving out food samples at local grocery stores, working in the kitchen at church camp, cutting wood for neighbors, loving animals, caring for widows, playing games, watching football and baseball endlessly and sharing deep conversations with you while drinking cinnamon tea.

In the early morning hours of September 1, 2022, this ornery, fun, whimsical, engaged, devoted and dedicated humble man fell asleep and woke up on Heaven’s shore. He was almost totally blind and completely deaf but I Corinthians 2:9 describes what occurred on the best day of his life: “No one’s ever seen or heard anything like this, never so much as imagined anything quite like it – what God has arranged for those who love Him.”

Ross leaves his legacy of life to his sister, Mildred Tullis; children Pam Clark, Terry (Julie) Clark and Nancy (Phil) Guthrie; grandchildren Carolyn (Kevin) Heffner, Tracy (Matt) Kurek, Ethan Disbrow, Tessa Clark, Michelle Guthrie and Kristen (Chris) Lutz; great grandchildren Katie Heffner, Christopher Heffner, Trent Kurek, Pierce Kurek, Gabryella Guthrie and Caedyn Guthrie.

Funeral services will be Thursday, 9/8 at Zechar Bailey Funeral Home in Greenville, OH. Visitation will begin at 1:00pm followed by the celebration of life at 2:00pm. Mike Simmons, minister of Palestine Church of Christ, will officiate the service. Military honors by the Greenville Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Chidamoyo Christian Hospital, Sebastopol Christian Church, 7433 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol, CA 95472 OR Bear’s Mill, 6450 Arcanum-Bear’s Mill Rd., Greenville, OH 45331.