William R. Clark, 88

SEAFORD - William R. Clark of Seaford died Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007, at LifeCare at Lofland Park in Seaford. He was 88.

Mr. Clark was born in Yeagertown, Pa.,on March 24, 1919.

He graduated from Mifflintown High School as valedictorian on May 28, 1936, and then from Lehigh University with a Bachelor"s of Science in civil engineering in May 1940. While at Lehigh, he was a member of the Lehigh fencing team, Tau Beta Pi engineering society, Alpha Phi Omega honor society and was active in the ROTC.

After college, Mr. Clark was hired by the Dupont Co. as one of the first 12 engineers employed at the first nylon plant in the world in Seaford.

He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and went on active duty on Dec. 7, 1941, at Fort Belvoir, Va., with the Army Corps of Engineers, 548th Engineer Topographic Battalion. He was stationed in Australia and New Guinea from May 1942 through October 1944 with Engineer Intelligence of GHQ Southwestern Pacific. He then transferred to Washington in October 1944, to serve in the Army Map Service at the Pentagon until his discharge in 1945 as a captain.

After his military service, Mr. Clark returned to work with the Dupont Co. and worked at both the Seaford and Chattanooga, Tenn., nylon plants until his retirement in 1984 after 43¾ years of service.

He was a member of Tall Cedars Masonic Temple for more than 61 years, Delaware Society of Professional Engineers and was a past president, the Seaford Golf and Country Club, the Nanticoke Yacht Club and St. Luke"s Episcopal Church.

Mr. Clark married his wife, Winifred "Freddie" Auker, on March 3, 1945, and she passed away Aug. 27, 2006.

He is survived by three sons and their wives, William R. Clark Jr. and Debra of Winchester, Va., Mark A. Clark and Patricia of Atlanta, Ga., and Jay S. Clark and Teresa of Rochester, N.Y.; 10 grandchildren, Will Clark, Michael Clark, Matthew Clark, Caroline Clark, J. Luke Clark, Sarah Marie Clark, Shannon Harlow, Wook-Jin "Hunter" Clark, Zachary Clark and Katherine "Katie" Clark; and a great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. today in Cranston Funeral Home, 300 N. Shipley St., Seaford, where friends may call from noon to 2 p.m.

Graveside services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at the Westminster Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Mifflintown, Pa.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to LifeCare at Lofland Park, c/o Tom Brown, 901 Middleford Road, Seaford, DE 19973; or Delaware Hospice Inc., 20167 Office Circle, Georgetown, DE 19947.