William C. Fielden

The world just lost another member of The Greatest Generation, William Clark Fielden, on October 15, 2012 at Lakewood Manor. Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on November 22, 1922 to William Calvin Fielden and Jessie Jackson Fielden, he was the seventh of eight children. He was a graduate of Farley High School, where he was Class President and Captain of the basketball team. In 1942 he left home to join the U.S. Navy and was sent for training at Camp Peary and the U.S. Naval Mine Station at Little Creek Amphibious Base. While in Richmond on leave in 1943, he met Elyse-Gordon Richardson and married her that same year. They were happily married for 64 years, ending with her death in 2007. After serving in the Pacific on the USS Embattle, a mine sweeper, Clark returned to Richmond and joined the Virginia Army National Guard as a First Lieutenant. He spent his career in the US Property and Fiscal Office and rose through the ranks to become a Lt. Colonel and the US Property and Fiscal Officer for the state of Virginia. He attended classes at the University of Richmond, School of Business and was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was a member of First Baptist Church and the Gold Band Sunday School Class, and was a 23rd Degree Mason and member of Dove Lodge, as well as a member of the Richmond Bodies of the Scottish Rite. Clark is survived by his children, Judy Gordon Fielden Kivi (Len) of Marquette, Michigan, Diane Clark Fielden Weakley of Richmond, and William Clark Fielden, Jr. (Debbie) of Richmond. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Jennifer Clark Weakley Ross of Aylett, Jonathan Adam Weakley of Atlanta, Georgia, Kathryn Ellen Weakley of Richmond, William David Fielden of Richmond, and Laura Ellen Fielden of Richmond. In addition, he has two great-grandsons, Boston Cassidy Ross and Cannon Baker Ross. The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Parham Chapel, Woody Funeral Home, 1771 N. Parham Rd., where a service in his honor will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday. Interment with military and Masonic rites in Westhampton Memorial Park. The family will be eternally grateful to the wonderful staff at Lakewood Manor who loved and cared for him for four years. Online condolences at www.woodyfuneralhomeparham.com.