When Fred Mathews was first introduced to Ken Clark during a meeting of the Dowagiac Lion’s Club in 1953, one thing immediately stood out to him — that the Dowagiac native was not a shy person.

“He was very sociable,” Mathews said. “If you were in reach of him, he was going to greet you.”

The two became fast friends after that, with their personal and professional lives intertwined even decades later. Mathews and Clark o were responsible for building institutions that continue to impact the landscape of Dowagiac today.

Sadly, the latter’s friendly face will no longer greet the people of his beloved hometown.

Clark died of natural causes in his home in Glendale, Arizona, on Feb. 26, 2015. He was 90 years old.

Clark was born to parents Harry and Elva Clark in Dowagiac back on Dec. 15, 1924. After graduating from high school, he joined the Army, serving overseas during World War II in Europe and the Philippines.

After the war, he returned to his hometown, and started to pave his path of self-made success that would make an indelible mark on the city and its residents.

Clark began working for the Ridge auto parts company, based out of South Bend. While there, he approached his friend Mathews with a unique proposition: to partner with him to build a new building for the dealer in Dowagiac.

Agreeing to lease the structure to Ridge once built, two arranged for the building to be constructed downtown, at the corner of Front and Division streets, where it remains today.

“That was where I really got my start in entrepreneurialism,” Mathews said.

Clark later went on to work for Brandt Inc. in Michigan and Indiana, where his natural salesmanship were put to even better use, allowing him to become a national leader within the company.

Perhaps his greatest accomplishment, though, came from another one of his partnerships with Mathews, when the two joined with several other members of the community to form the Dowagiac Community State Bank back in 1961. Clark served as the chairman of the bank’s board of trustees for over three decades, and was instrumental in introducing many innovations to the local banking world, Mathews said.

“[The board] had great confidence in his judgment, and we all worked well together,” he said.

The strength of Clark’s and Mathews’ business ventures was matched only by the strength of their friendship. The two went on countless hunting trips together, and spent years bonding on the golf course.

“We had so many good times together,” Mathews said. “It was just one continuous fun relationship. Everything we did, whether it was business, personal or community related, it was always a very pleasant experience working with Kenny.”

Clark eventually moved out to Arizona, but would often return to his hometown during the summer. Mathews remained in contact with his friend through the years, though they hadn’t seen each other in some time before Clark’s passing, he said.

“It’s always hard to lose old friends, but my memories of him are all still so good, so that makes it an even bigger disappointment to know he’s gone,” Mathews said. “But, he had a good, long life, of 90 years, which many people don’t get to see, and they were all productive.”