Kenneth B. Clark

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Kenneth B. "Ken" Clark made his "last flight" February 21, 2015. A reception will be held Monday, February 23, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Grand Ballroom at Carlyle Place with private burial in Andersonville National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Ocmulgee Audubon Society, c/o Paul Hoinowski, 2530 Delaware Avenue, Macon, GA 31204, or the donors favorite charity. Ken was the son of Hazel McElhiney Clark and T. Leo Clark, both of Butte Montana. He was born 18 November 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri, but never lived there. His father traveled, as a salesman for the then newly emerging electric power industry, and Ken grew up in New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and finally, Seattle, Washington, where he completed high school in 1940 and spent two years in a repertory theater company before entering the Army Air Forces in 1942. He flew 100 combat missions in P-38 Lightnings in the Pacific Theater during WW ll and was one of the first eight fighter pilots to land in Japan at war's end as a member of General MacArthur's air honor guard. He remained on active duty after the war, retiring as a full Colonel with 32 years of service in 1974. In the Air Force he held a number of instructional assignments with the Air University, the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFROTC), and the British Royal Air Force Staff College before returning to the cockpit as a transport pilot and squadron commander in the Military Air Transport Command, for which he became the Chief of Safety with world-wide responsibilities for accident prevention, both in the air and on the ground. He commanded Air Base Wings at Scott AF Base, Illinois and Ramey AF base Puerto Rico before his final posting as Inspector General for the Warner Robins Air Material Area. His decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals and the Meritorious Service Medal. While on Active Duty Ken earned a Bachelor's Degree in Speech at the University of Washington, where he taught in the AFROTC program, graduating Magna Cum Laude and elected Phi Beta Kappa. He also completed Air Command and Staff College, the British Joint Service Staff College and the Air Force War College. After retiring from the Air Force, Ken traveled the length and breadth of Georgia on the staff of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce before establishing his own business as a consultant on association management. He and his wife of more than 62 years, Arlene, who died in 2005, lived on a 15 acre "horse ranch" on Lake Tobesofkee and tended three Paso Fino horses brought back from Puerto Rico. An active birder, he served as president of the local Audubon Society for two terms and edited their newsletter for 10 or more years. He was also president of the Georgia Ornithological Society for four years and a board member for 15 years. He chaired the Bibb County Environmental Quality Board from 1991 until it was dissolved in 2005. He was a member of the Bibb County Development Authority for more than 25 years. He was a founding member and one-time Flight Leader of Eagle Flight, Order of Daedalians; founding member and twice commander of the Middle Georgia Chapter, Military Order of the World Wars, and a member of a number of veterans reunion and aviation associations. He authored numerous articles on military and aviation history for their publications, and wrote a textbook on Communication Skills for use in the AFROTC program. After his first wife died, he moved to Carlyle Place, Macon where he renewed acquaintances with Lee Kingery, an Air Force widow and well known actress in Middle Georgia community theatre and they were married in 2007. They appeared on stage together in several local productions at Macon Little Theatre and Theater Macon. Their most memorable performance together were as Norman and Ethel in On Golden Pond at Theater Macon in September 2009, and in Love Letters. Ken is survived by his wife Leora "Lee" Kingery-Clark, four step-children, Karen Kingery Senden, William Kingery (Carol), Bonnie Kingery Scott (Brian) and John Kingery (Beth) seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a cousin Barbara Graham of Vail, Arizona and a brother in law Peter Neketin ( Liz) of Portland, Oregon. Register online at www.hartrsmort.com. Hart's Mortuary at the Cupola has charge of the arrangements.