Feb. 7, 1932 — Oct. 6, 2018

Thomas Crawford Clarke, 86, passed away on Oct. 6, 2018 in Arlington, Virginia.

Mr. Clarke was a senior vice president and general counsel at Clark Equipment Company until his retirement in 1993. During the 1960s and 1970s, he served on the board, including as president, of Brandywine Community Schools. With friends, he founded a Niles chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Church, which has since disbanded.  After retirement, Mr. Clarke relocated to the Washington, DC area where he served on the board of directors of the St. Michael’s Maritime Museum and Caribbean Conservation Corporation.

Mr. Clarke attended Harvard College through a scholarship from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and graduated in 1953. He served as an officer of the United States Navy, stationed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Upon his return to civilian life, as a Lieutenant JG, he attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1959.

Mr. Clarke is survived by his wife, Robin Rowan Clarke. He is also survived by his four daughters from his first marriage to Margaret Slaybaugh (Larson), all of whom graduated from Brandywine Community Schools, and their husbands: Rebecca Clarke Foster (David Foster), St. Joseph; Jennifer Clarke (Alan Barstow), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Margaret Clarke (Timothy Richards), Washington, DC; and Amy Clarke Shaffner (Michael Shaffner), Conifer, Colorado. He is also survived by eight grandchildren.

His family and friends remember him for his boundless curiosity about the world. He was equally interested in history, literature, words, geography, art, architecture, music, civil rights, and the natural world.  He loved inventing and playing games and puzzles, first with his children and then with his grandchildren.

The family will hold a private memorial service. Contributions may be made to the American Civil Liberties Union or the Natural Resources Defense Council.