Clark USAF (Ret.), Lt. Col. Chester Glen    

GLADEWATER -- Funeral services for Chester Glen Clark, Lt. Col., USAF, Ret., will 
be 10 a.m. Monday, March 20, 2006, at St. Theresa's Catholic Church, with Father 
Ronald Demski and Father Michael Doyle officiating. Burial, with military honors, 
will follow in Gladewater Memorial Park. The family will receive visitors 3-5 p.m. 
Sunday, March 19, 2006, at Croley Funeral Home. Col. Clark was born September 1, 
1935, in Shreveport, La., to F.V. and Sadie LeVasseur Clark. He died March 13, 
2006, after a long and valiant battle with cancer. A graduate of Mount Pleasant 
High School in 1953, Col. Clark received a bachelor of art degree from East Texas 
State University in Commerce, with a major in mathematics. He earned a master of 
science degree from Texas A&M University in College Station, with a major in 
mathematics in 1966. He received his Texas teaching certificate from the University 
of Texas at Tyler in 1980. Col. Clark was also a graduate of the United States Air 
War College. Col. Clark served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years. He was a pilot 
and aircraft commander, whose service included one year in Vietnam. He was awarded 
the Distinguished Flying Cross for exceptional valor for a mission flown in Vietnam. 
Other military awards include the Vietnamese Service Medal with three bronze service 
stars, Air Force Longevity Service Award with four oak leaf clusters, National 
Defense Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Medal with one leaf cluster, 
Presidential Unit Citation, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and Meritorious Service 
Medal. Following his military retirement in 1978, Col. Clark and his family moved to 
Gladewater where he began a second career teaching math at Gladewater High School for 
24 years. He served as chairman of the math department, sponsor of the UIL math team, 
and was the founder of Drug Free Youth. He was honored by the Gladewater Chamber of 
Commerce as Educator of the Year in 2004. During his teaching career, he was 
recognized with numerous other awards, including high school teacher of the year 
(twice) and Globe Teacher of the Year. Col. Clark was a faithful member of St. 
Theresa's Catholic Church, where he taught religious education classes and served as 
a eucharistic minister and member of the Parish Council. As an avid fan of high school 
sports, he enthusiastically backed the Gladewater Bears in all sports, rarely missing 
a game. He coached several youth and church baseball and softball teams which prompted 
many students to call him "Coach Clark." He played tennis, baseball, and softball 
throughout his life, and turned his last double play at age 68 in a church league. He 
has now found his Field of Dreams. Col. Clark is survived by his wife of 48 years, 
Lorraine Blalock Clark; two sons and daughters-in-law, Kevin and Diane Clark of 
Gladewater, and Tom and Heather Clark of Coppell; one daughter and son-in-law, Carol 
and Mike Foster of Loganville, Ga.; one brother and sister-in-law, Fulton and Carol 
Clark of Natchitoches, La.; one sister and brother-in-law, Sadie and Mike Hall of 
Crowley; and one brother-in-law, Kenneth Blalock and his wife, Judy, of Santa Maria, 
Calif. His family includes seven grandchildren, Lauren Clark, Samantha Clark, Morgan 
Clark, Marilyn Paige Clark, Natalie Clark, Hayden Clark, and Sophie Foster. He is also 
survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be Sam Chenowith, Doug Duke, 
Roger Goetze, Harry Haggard, Mike Hall, and Mark Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family 
requests that donations be made to the Scholarship Fund of the St. Theresa's Ladies 
Guild, c/o Joyce Hugman, 1901 E. Lake Dr., Gladewater, TX 75647. The family wishes to 
express its sincere appreciation to Dr. Neeraj Sharma, the staff of the Longview Cancer 
Center, Greater Hospice of Texas, and the many friends who have supported and prayed for 
them during his long journey home.

Published in the Longview News-Journal on 3/18/2006