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T'ville's No. 1 sports fan dies
Clarke was a long-time fixture at the home games of Thomasville High School's sports teams, and when Thomasville was on the road, he could usually be found at one of the other local teams' games in the area. "He was very outgoing, and he loved the kids," said his cousin, James Thompson. Jimmie Rose Bryant echoed Thompson's comments. "Mr. Clarke didn't only laud the students for their athletic skills, he was equally concerned about their academic standing. Even after they graduated, he would follow their progress through contact with the parents as much as possible." Born Nov. 23, 1930 in Thomasville, Clarke was an accomplished athlete himself. He and his brothers Joe, James, Elbert and Alex played every sport available at Thomasville Public High School, but they excelled at football. Clarke continued his sport and academic career at Alabama A&M College where he played football and baseball. He was among 12 former players inducted into the school's sports hall of fame in 1994. After college he served a tour of duty in the U.S. Army. Sports again played a part in his life where he played football and baseball while in the army. When his tour of duty ended in 1953, he returned to Alabama A&M to finish his education and earn his degree in Mechanical Arts Education in 1957. He left his home after graduating and worked in California at Douglas Aircraft, now owned by Boeing. But once he returned home after his retirement 40 years later, he came back to the games of his childhood. Clarke purchased season tickets every year to the Thomasville football games, but declined to sit in the stands, choosing instead to sit and stand at the fence surrounding the football field. There he also interacted with the crowds, seeming to know nearly everyone in attendance at a game. "They would come in and it would be Hey Mr. Clarke, hey Mr. Clarke, hey Mr. Clarke," Thompson said. In 2004, he was selected as the grand marshal of Thomasville's Youth Day where he shared the following thoughts. "I watch sports on all levels with all age groups," he said. "You'd be surprised at some of the athletes we've got here in Thomasville. Even the little fellows are talented. Who knows? I might be watching somebody who'll be famous one day!" Clarke may be known as "Thomasville's Number One Sports Fan" but in his day, he was a force to be reckoned with on the football field, the basketball court and the baseball diamond. "There were five of us growing up," Clarke said. "I had four brothers and a step-brother. We played everything." Clarke was born in Thomasville and played sports just about the entire time while he was growing up. "We played everything," he said. "Baseball, basketball, football - you name it and we'd play it." When Clarke entered high school in the late 1940s, segregation was in full force in Alabama. "I attended school at Thomasville Public High School, which was the black school at the time," he said. "The school was located where McFadden Park is now. It had two parts to it - the elementary school was on top of the hill where the shirt factory is now and the high school was under the hill where the park is. When somebody asked us where we went to school, we said either 'on the hill' or 'under the hill.'" Clarke played sports for two different coaches while in high school. "The first coach we had was Thomas Holloway," Clarke said. "He left my junior year and Coach Henry Williams took over." Both coaches guided a strong Thomasville Bears program. "We had a good team for a school from a small town," Clarke said. "We beat just about everybody around here - Brewton, Evergreen, Atmore, Demopolis. However, we always had a tough time with the bigger schools, like Alabama State High School from Montgomery. They were so much bigger than us, we just couldn't do anything with them!" He said Thomasville's programs are some of the best around. "They're hard to beat for a town this size," he said. "Plus, we've got great facilities. When people come here to watch a game, they leave with something good to say about Thomasville. The programs are good for the town."
He is survived by his two children, Rev. Chris Surrell and Nancy Clarke, two brothers, one sister and other relatives. His full obituary can be found on Page 2 of this edition.
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