Obituary for Stanley J. Clark Stanley J. Clark Jr., 91, formerly of Daytona Beach, died peacefully under hospice care on April 16 in Daniel Island, S.C., surrounded by his wife, Suzanne and his youngest daughter, Elizabeth Williams. He was a solid, hardworking Midwesterner who instilled an intense loyalty among his children. He was born in Lansing, Mich.
, Aug. 17, 1926, the oldest of four children to Stanley J. Clark Sr. and Kathleen Clark. He built an extensive paper route as a teenager, a sign of his natural salesmanship.
After graduating from Lansing ton High School in 1944, he entered the U.S. Navy where he worked on the ship’s boilers in the Pacific. During the Battle of Okinawa, he manned a machine gun against Japanese kamikaze pilots. After returning to Lansing in 1945, he went to work at his father’s dry cleaners store.
He married the love of his life, Suzanne Graham, on April 30, 1948. Good Catholics, they had four children in about six years. His father died in 1953, leaving young Stanley the effective head of not only his family but his three younger siblings: Richard, Carolyn and Kay.
The dry cleaning business was not for him, so he joined State Farm Insurance as an agent. The early years were tough, requiring nightly sales calls and office work on Saturdays. Eventually, the business in West Lansing thrived.
Though not a college graduate, he earned a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation. At age 65, Stanley and Suzanne moved to Daytona Beach where he played golf with good friends at Riviera Country Club while Suzanne flourished as an artist. His years in the condo with a beach view were some of the happiest of his life.
He survived several serious medical scares, including mumps as a young father and colon cancer in his 50s. He loved his family and his faith as well as reading, golf and Michigan State University. He finished several marathons celebrated his 85th birthday by skydiving with daughter Candace.
Survivors include Suzanne Clark; children Michael Clark, Candace Maher, Peter Clark and Elizabeth Williams; nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Son Thomas died about 30 years ago. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Building Fund, St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church, 63 Seven Farms Dr., Daniel Island,S.C. 29492 To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Stanley J. Clark please visit our Sympathy Store.
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