In loving memory of
Gary Lee Clark
September 23, 1951 - November 20, 2013
Unconditional in his love, Gary Clark was a man of integrity, who gave his all in everything he did. He made his family his first priority and put their needs before his own. It was easy to see that Gary adored his family, and it was when he was surrounded by his loved ones that he felt richly blessed. Yet, he also understood the value of hard work and knew how to persevere through difficult circumstances. Garys years of dedicated work afforded him both a happy place in life, and a family that loved him dearly.
The 1950s were a bustling, optimistic time in American history, when neighborhoods and schools were bursting at the seams in the post war Baby Boom, and families moved from the cities to stake their claims to a comfortable life in the suburbs. It was into these booming times that Emery Clark and his wife, Evelyn (Grossman), of Hesperia, Michigan welcomed the birth of their son, Gary Lee Clark, on September 23, 1951, at Hackley Hospital in Muskegon, Michigan. Gary was the middle of three boys in his family, and he and his older brother, Thomas, and younger brother, Joel, enjoyed a typical childhood growing up in Hesperia. His father earned a living working at Continental Motors, while his mother was a busy homemaker, making sure they stayed out of trouble. Lucky for him, his mom won a bicycle in a contest one year and gave it to Gary, who rode it until the tires fell off.
Like many young boys, Gary became passionate about cars as a teenager, which followed him his whole life through. Every car he owned was immaculate, cleaned and detailed on a regular basis. For education, Gary attended Klondyke Elementary School and went on to graduate from Hesperia High in 1969. Sadly, that same year, Garys father became ill and passed away. His mother remarried a few years later to Jack Burrell in 1971. Tragedy struck the family again in 1973 when his younger brother, Joel, died in a car accident. Although the first few years after high school were difficult, Gary still prospered and carried on with life. He found work at Gerber Products Co. in Fremont in the mailroom, and also met a special young lady named Samantha VanDyke. The two soon married, but were divorced a short time later. Gary then decided to change career paths and became an Electrician apprentice. After completing his apprenticeship, he worked as an Electrician for over 35 years, and truly enjoyed what he did.
In 1980, Gary found love again when he met Cindy Green. They were later married and had two beautiful daughters together, Jessica and Christy. They raised their girls in Muskegon, surrounded by their extended family. Many memorable holidays were spent at his mother and step-fathers house. Being a real jokester, Gary was always the life of the party, making everyone laugh, and his loving, compassionate heart always reached out to those in need. The day Gary found out about his son, Levi, it just added another wonderful blessing to his life, and he welcomed him with open arms. For Gary, family was the greatest source of happiness in his life, and there was nothing more valuable, more rewarding to him than giving all he could possibly give to his children, his grandchildren and his family.
When it came to his free time, Gary loved to spend the day at the beach, and cheering on the Detroit Tigers. Of course, there was always time to work on, talk about and look at trucks and cars, especially fast ones. Naturally, the best place to see fast cars were at the races! One of his prized possessions was a 1990 Ford Mustang he named Lucille. Unfortunately, in 1990, Gary fell off scaffolding at work and thereafter had lifelong health issues that eventually disabled him. During this time, his marriage to Cindy also ended in divorce. Strong and stubborn, Gary once again pushed on and used his time of retirement to be with his family and help them out in any way he could. Within the chaos of life, Gary could always focus on what was important to him the people he loved.
With a genuine heart that was as endless as the ocean is blue, Gary touched the hearts of so many within his reach. He accomplished much in life, but it was the moments he shared with those he loved that meant the world to him. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
Gary L. Clark, age 62, died on Wednesday, November 20, 2013, at his home. He is survived by his mother, Evelyn (Jack) Burrell of Hesperia; daughters, Jessica (Terry Cole) Green of Rockford and Christy (Adam) Syrek of Muskegon; son, Levi Koone of Muskegon; grandchildren, Zoey, Ashlyn, Justin, Gage and Landon; brother, Thomas Clark of Muskegon; along with several nieces and nephews; and former wife, Cindy Clark of Muskegon. He was preceded in death by his father Emery, and brother, Joel Clark.
A memorial gathering will be held on Tuesday, November 26, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. and 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the Clock Funeral Home-Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to the Gary Lee Clark Memorial Fund. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com, where you may share a memory and sign the online guest book.