Mr. John Clarke, age never admitted to, a resident of Thunder Bay, passed away gracefully in the TBRHSC (aka the hospital) with his family at his side and him in our hearts.
Born to Doris and Arthur Clarke ages ago in Sioux Lookout, he also spent part of his childhood in Red Lake, ON before his family settled in Thunder Bay.
As the head of the Phys.Ed department at Hillcrest High for over three decades, John was ever an athlete. In his college days, he was a gymnast and, as a teacher, he always encouraged others to be active too and took the time to coach high school football and basketball.
He had a passion for sailing and spent much time skiing both downhill and x-country, curling, golfing, tennis, playing squash and racquet ball. He continued to cycle, coordinate the hockey pool, and has been a long time membership holder at PUSH Fitness (and actually went!) until near his final days.
He loved the outdoors and spent many summers canoeing, camping and fishing in many of Ontario’s Provincial Parks… until his wife began to out-fish him and she decided hotels were more enjoyable than the tent-trailer. Age was also beginning to catch up so he didn’t need too much convincing after a while.
After retirement, he was able to explore his creative side and an amazingly talented water-colour artist was born! He loved studying and attempting different techniques and subjects and he recently acquired his first art student.
On many warm, sunny (and windless) days, you would find John packing an R/C airplane or two (he had many!) into the back of his vehicle and heading to the flying field out Hwy 61. He went back to his teaching roots once again by having model-building classes with the Air cadets.
John was such an easy going man who moved at his own pace (usually late, despite the wishes of his wife EVERYONE). He was also a man of rigid discipline! He kept to “only two cookies a day”, he was a mystery to the rest of us by only wanting two perogies… and passed on taste-testing stuffing until dinner time at big family dinners. His family usually knew what day it was based on his breakfast (egg day, cereal day, yogurt & berries day, toast & jam day…) and his activities (gym day, bike ride day, art class day…).
John will be lovingly remembered by his wife Paula (nee: Mudryk), his children Cathy Clarke (Paul Meggs), Debbie (Andrew) Zemba, Wendy George (Shauna) and Michael George (Barbara), his grandchildren Lukas, Levi, Quinn and Evan, and his great-grandson Matthew.
He will also be greatly missed by the insane amount of in-laws he inherited, his many close friends and even more-so, by his “fur baby” Charlii.
John has gone to join his son, Paul, and we wish them love, joy and peace for eternity.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 in the Chapel of the Harbourview Funeral Centre, 499 North Cumberland Street. Visitation for family and friends will be held one hour prior to the service. If friends so desire, donations may be made in John’s memory to a charity of their choice.
