Virgil Page "Ted" Clark Jr., 91, died in his home in Lafayette, Louisiana Tuesday, October 15, surrounded by his loving family.
Affectionately known as "Ted", he was born April 17, 1928, in Southern Pines. He graduated from Hoke County High School in 1946 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. A proud veteran, he served his country in the Navy until 1949 and then enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served from 1949 to 1953.
In 1956, he obtained his A&P license from the Embry Riddle School of Aviation in Miami, Florida and began his career in the helicopter industry, starting with Petroleum Helicopters. He went on to work at Republic Aviation, Bell Helicopter Co. and Vought Helicopter Co. as well as Giovanni Agusta, and eventually retired from Air Logistics in 2000. During his career he traveled extensively throughout South America to Bogota, Colombia, Santiago, Chile, Lima, Peru and Mérida, Mexico as well as Cuba, Panama and Puerto Rico. He also spent time in Azores, Bahamas in the Caribbean, overseas in England and Italy and the Canadian province of Newfoundland in addition to many places across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii.
He was an avid golfer and loved to spend time with his family, friends and fellow golfers. He was a loving father and grandfather.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Fay Ann Cutitto Clark; his parents, Virgil Page Clark and Marvin Belle White Clark; his sister, Helen Lee Surles; and his brother, Raleigh "Gene" Clark.
He is survived by his daughter Jennifer Clark Guidry and her husband Keith, of Lafayette; son Scott Clark and his wife Jackie, of Grand Prairie, Louisiana; four grandchildren, Reagan and Justin Guidry, and Tyler and Olivia Clark; half-brother, Herman "Rock" King Jr., of Hendersonville; brother-in-law Rudy Mills, of Perdido Key, Florida; and niece Carla Mills, of Little Rock, Arkansas.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at 11:30 a.m. at Fountain Memorial Funeral Home in Lafayette, Louisiana. Visitation will be observed at 9 a.m. prior to the service. A rosary will be recited at 11 a.m. Father Matthew P. Higginbotham, Pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Washington, Louisiana will officiate.
Inurnment with full military honors will follow in Fountain Memorial Cemetery in Lafayette, LA.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of Acadiana at 2200 Johnston St., Ste. 200, Lafayette, LA, 70503, (337) 232-1234, www.hospiceacadiana.com.
The online obituary and guest book may be viewed at www.fountainmemorialfuneralhome.com.