Clark leaves with Lockhart in his heart

LPR staff

Bill Clark wore several hats in Lockhart, but the one that leaves a lasting legacy around his community will be the pride he took in his hometown.

Clark passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 27, at the age of 89.

Former Lockhart attorney, Alan Fielder, remembers Clark as a giver to his community and always willing to lend a hand to anything that was good for the town.

“I moved back here in 1971,” Fielder said. “I was around (Clark) quite a lot. We were both members of the Kiwanis Club. He was always working in the community. He did a lot of good things, both he and his wife (Dell). They donated a lot of things.

“He was always such a very optimistic person and was always positive in his outlook.”

Fielder said he and Clark had both attended the University of Texas and that Clark was a “big fan” of the Longhorns.

“If we had a project of any sort, Bill would generally contribute to it and hope and help whatever project it was succeeded,” Fielder added.

A 1953 graduate of Lockhart High School, Clark excelled in athletics for the Lions, eventually competing on the Texas Longhorns’ track and field team as a freshman. He earned a degree from UT, later serving in the U.S. Army and eventually the Army reserves.

He returned to Lockhart to join his father at the Ford dealership, a family business since 1926. He became the third generation to run the dealership and was elected to the Ford Motor Company National Dealer Council where he served alongside legends Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca.

Clark served on the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, was President of the Lockhart Kiwanis Club, President of the Caldwell County United Fund, Chairman of the local Salvation Army (receiving its Outstanding Service Award), and was Chairman of the Lockhart Housing Authority.

The Lockhart Chamber of Commerce selected Clark as its Most Worthy Citizen in 2012.

A member of the First United Methodist Church, Clark was especially proud of his kids (Tim Clark and Cynthia Clark), grandkids, and his great-grandson.