Roll Call Tribute

Published in Austin American-Statesman from Nov. 20 to Nov. 21, 2016

Gene Weldon CLARK(1922 - 2016)
CLARK, Gene Weldon
August 22, 1922-November 10, 2016

Gene Weldon Clark died peacefully at his daughter's home in Austin, Texas, Thursday morning, Nov. 10, 2016. He was an engineer by training, occupation and temperament.

Gene was born on August 22, 1922, in Beatrice, Nebraska, where his father, a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Nebraska, was employed by the Dempster Windmill Company.

Gene was the second of three children of McKinley Frazier ("Mack") Clark of Utica, Illinois and Willie Louis "Dixie" Smith Clark of Lexington, KY. Mack was a career army officer; the family lived in many cities around Texas and the U.S. Gene graduated from San Jacinto High School in Houston in 1939.

Gene played clarinet in the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and was active in the Aggie Band Association throughout his life. His roommate in the band dorm was artillery band Drum Major Joe Gordon. Joe went on to be an architect in Dallas, and the two remained best friends until Joe's death in 2015.

Gene was in his junior year at A&M when the US declared war on Japan and Germany in December 1941. To help the nation meet the demands of World War II, A&M placed the college on a three-semester year-round basis, allowing Gene to graduate in January 1943. His older brother, Terry Allen, left school to serve in the Army, returning after the war to earn his degree. Both brothers graduated in aeronautical engineering and served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II.

Gene married Mary Elizabeth "Bidgie" Hall of Bryan, Texas on April 3, 1943, shortly after his graduation from A&M. The couple settled in Brownsville, TX, where Gene was an aeronautical engineer with Pan American Airways. In 1944 Gene joined the U.S. Army Air Corps where he served as a Sergeant at Wright Air Field in Dayton, Ohio.

After the war Gene and Bidgie moved to Dallas, where their two daughters were born. During their 25 years in Dallas Gene worked for Braniff Airways, Associated Air Services, Solar Aircraft, and Bell Helicopter. While at Bell in the 1960s he conducted the market research that directed design of the Jet Ranger helicopter, which is in production today. He was an early board member of Lovers Lane Methodist Church and president of his Toastmasters Club.

He completed ground school while at Texas A&M and began flight training. While living in Dallas twenty-four years later, he resumed flight training and earned his private pilot's license at Addison Airport, which was at that time a rural, uncontrolled airport. He also flew gliders and joined a glider club at San Benito Airport in the Rio Grande Valley.

In 1971 Gene and Bidgie returned to Brownsville where Gene was responsible for construction of the Marathon LeTourneau Company shipyard at the Port of Brownsville. After completion of that project he joined Ferguson Construction Company as vice president.

In 1986 the couple moved to Brazos County in retirement, where Gene tended to ranchland inherited from Bidgie's family. He drove a maroon El Camino through cow pastures to string barbed wire, clear brush and "survey the premises," occasionally relying on neighbors and relatives to pull the El Camino out of a ditch or mud bog.

Gene proudly served as a docent at the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, and formed many long-term friendships with his fellow volunteers. He was president of the Woodcreek Community Association and was active in the Rotary Club of College Station, serving as club secretary for 12 years.

He was active in the Kurten Community Association, drawing up plans for and helping to build the Kurten Community Center at the site of the old high school. He also volunteered with the Kurten Cemetery Association.

Since 2009 Gene has resided at Querencia at Barton Creek near Austin.

Gene was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Bidgie; his parents; his brother Terry; and his grand niece Meghan O'Connor. He recently suffered the loss of his college roommate and best friend of 77 years, Joe Gordon, and of his dear friend and high school classmate, Pansy Martyn of Fredericksburg, TX.

He is survived by sister June Desiree Clark Spearman of Kennedale, TX; daughters Cynthia Clark of Novato, CA and Candice Clark of Austin, TX; grandson Wyatt Rawlings of Austin; godson Spencer Gordon of Austin; and four generations of cousins, nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held Sunday, Nov. 20, at 11 a.m. at the Kurten Cemetery in Kurten, TX.