Richard Clark

Richard Clark, 89, civic leader, developer, and agricultural entrepreneur died March 13, 2010 in an accidental drowning at his home in Bartow. He was born May 31, 1920 in Bartow, the youngest of three sons of the late W. W. and Laura Clark. Mr. Clark was well known as someone who deeply loved and generously gave of himself to make his community a better place. Richard was preceded in death by two sons, Fred Clark and James Milton Clark. He is survived by his wife: Mayme Burdin Clark; Grandchildren: Susan Blenk and husband, Paul Blenk Bartow; Rickie Clark and his wife, Cyndi Clark Highlands Ranch, CO); Cindi Clark Lakeland; Cathy Ferris and husband Chris Ferris Tallahassee; Jim Clark; Allison Mabe Greensboro, NC; Melissa Woodard Savannah, GA; Cathrine and Lilly Pfeiffer Bartow; Great-grandchildren: Adam, Jake, and Taylor Blenk Bartow; Chrissy Clark Highlands Ranch, CO; Jamie and David Clark IL; Sydney and Julia Ferris Tallahassee; Stepchildren: John Burdin Lakeland; Trish Pfeiffer and husband, Bob Pfeiffer Bartow. Richard exemplified a life that was fruitful and fulfilling. His education at Summerlin Institute and studying animal husbandry at the University of Florida equipped him to build on his family’s entrepreneurial history--a family remembered in the parts of Florida bearing their names. Hendry County was named for his great grandfather, Captain Francis Asbury Hendry. LaBelle was named for his mother, Laura and her sister, Belle. His father owned and 0perated the Bartow Ice Plant for 50 years.Richard built his own legacy rooted in his ability to build trusting relationships, and bring innovation to any venture. He took an interest in farming while working in his father’s Ice Plant, supplying ice for produce shipping out of Florida. Supported by a mentor who helped him master better ways of growing vegetables, he found early success growing cabbage, which he shipped north by train. His green thumb—and innovation—expanded as he worked with two partners to reclaim a 160-acre tract of land. The first reclamation project ever done on this scale or magnitude, the project was written up in an engineering manual, serving as a valuable resource for hundreds of engineers. Using two bulldozers he purchased, Richard went out ahead of areas where the mining was taking place and hauled topsoil back to his 160 acres of reclaimed land. He primed 60 acres of the property to farm, setting aside the other 100 acres, including a lake, for a new entrepreneurial passion: development. The sixty farming acres were quickly put to good use. On that rich land Richard grew tobacco, tomato and pepper plants, eventually using his plant-growing expertise to raise orange trees, and transition from the plant business to orange groves. The topsoil-primed land produced a showpiece-quality grove that was a great producer—disproving the “conventional wisdom” that citrus wouldn’t do well on mined-out phosphate land. People came just to see his grove, which was selected as a classic Florida backdrop by a national reporter for NBC news who interviewed Richard for local perspectives during presidential election-year coverage. He developed more than 800 residential lots and four subdivisions, the largest being the 490-home Richland Manor. His capstone project was Square Lake, an upscale residential community with 120 lots developed on the land he had carefully groomed with rich topsoil and planted with hundreds of trees. Richard is probably best known for his generosity--with time and money. His name can be found on most, if not all, plaques around Bartow, including those at the Bartow Regional Medical Center. When a 1990s assessment of Bartow Memorial Hospital concluded that having doctor’s offices on the campus would make it more successful, Richard took action. Donating his money and time, he purchased and cleared several adjoining properties, and then secured an investor to build the office complex on the properties. Two beautiful stained glass windows in the Bartow Regional Medical Center chapel are dedicated in Richard’s honor. He served his community generously with roles and recognition including Kiwanis Club of Bartow, serving 51 years, including as President in 1962; Helping start the United Way of Bartow, and helping to merge it into the United Way of Central Florida, which honored him with their Volunteer of the Year Award; Serving on the Bartow Memorial Hospital Board for 38 years; Director of Bartow Chamber of Commerce for 6 three-year terms; Lions’ Club Outstanding Citizenship of the year Award; Patron of the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Villa; Board Member of First United Methodist Church of Bartow, serving as a Trustee for years; The Rotary Club Medal of Honor; Spirit of Bartow Award; Founder and Board Member of Community National Bank of Bartow. With vision and innovation, Richard was a man who made things happen--personally, as well as in business. One of his greatest personal joys was to take friends fishing in his boat in the Gulf of Mexico—and keeping photo albums of his friends’ smiling faces holding their catches. “I think that every single snook in the Gulf has been hooked at one time or another by someone hosted by Richard on his boat,” remembers his friend Billy Simpson. Bringing a spirit of innovation into every aspect of his life, Richard had recently been working with Mote Marine in Sarasota in an experiment to help snook thrive in freshwater. His vision was for Polk County to become the fresh-water snook capital of the world. Richard’s life biography exemplifies one who has been fruitful. That his life was also fulfilling was best illustrated by his devotion to and pleasure in his family, as well as his oft-repeated phrase: “I’m the luckiest man alive.” Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 17 at First United Methodist Church of Bartow with funeral services to follow at 2 PM. The family will receive friends at the residence after the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the First United Methodist Church of Bartow Building Fund, 310 S Broadway Ave, Bartow, FL 33830.