James Wylie Clarke Jr.

James (Jim) was born in El Paso, Texas on 4/20/1934 to Maria and James Wylie Clarke. He was the second child of 5 children, with an older sister and 3 younger brothers. Jim was always a good student and athletic. He played baseball, football and was a Golden Glove boxer as a young adult. He and his brothers went to visit an uncle in Gomez Palacios, and lived on a large ranch. Jim learned to ride horses and hunt. This early love of horses and hunting stayed with Jim. Jim had a large extended family in El Paso, having more than 100 cousins in the area and many aunts and uncles.

Jim attended Cathedral High School, a Catholic high school run by the Brothers of Christian Schools of the Diocese of El Paso. It was then he met his future wife, Kay Frances Eppler. She attended the Loretto Academy in El Paso. They were wed on November 28, 1951 at St Joseph Catholic church. They were a young couple and soon had their first child, a daughter. Jim and Kay moved to Colorado where Jim was a college student. It was in Colorado that the couple had their second daughter. The pressures of a young family played in the decision to return to El Paso, and after a few dead-end jobs, Jim became a machinist assistant at age 20 and learned to become a master machinist, and a hard worker and good provider.

Jim and Kay moved to California and his family continued to grow to six children, 4 daughters and 2 sons, all close in age. Jim raised chickens and other livestock and his brother Peter and his family lived nearby. Jim continued to work hard, hunt, and fish, and ride his motorcycle. He was the head of a large household and was a sports fan- enjoying baseball, football, boxing, and basketball. He and his family went on vacations to the Grand Canyon, to the redwood forests of Oregon. His love of nature and outdoors was adopted by some of his family.

Jim moved his family to Maryland to pursue a job opportunity. The eldest daughter moved out on her own and the rest of the kids and his wife settled into new surroundings. After a few years, the family moved again, back to Texas again for his work. His other 2 eldest daughters moved out and stayed in Maryland. Jim lived near Corpus Christi, and since his company tested their product in salt water, Jim took his youngest kids fishing on the Gulf frequently.

In the early 1980s Jim and another friend he worked with Terry, joined in a partnership and opened their own machine shop, Precise Machining and Etching, in Cedar Park, Texas. Jim worked hard and his business was a success. He bought and raised Paso Fino horses. By now, Jim was a grandfather, and a great grandfather and traveled with his wife and adult kids to Italy and Spain. He and Kay resided in Liberty Hill for more than 30 years, having grandkids, and great grandkids visit and “camp” at their place. Jim retired at age 72 and continued to enjoy TV shows, sports, fishing and extensive family get togethers. Jim lost his wife, Kay, in 2020, and of course, that was major loss and change in his life.

James is preceded in death by his sister Irene, his wife, Kay Frances, his grandchildren David Williams and Alison Telthorster. He is survived by his brothers: Peter, Daniel and Rudolph Clarke, his children Rebecca Smith, Linda Mischou, Elaine Williams, James Wylie Clarke III, Veronica Telthorster, and Eric Clarke and 13 grandchildren, and 25 great grandchildren plus many nephews and nieces.

Memorial will be held Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 11:00 am at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 1200 S Bagdad Rd, Leander, Texas. Inurnment at Cedar Park Cemetery, Cedar Park, Texas.