Ronald James Clark

Ronald James Clark, was born in 1940. He was just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit. He took a midnight train and joined the Air Force at 18 years old and this is his short story.

After leaving Detroit, Michigan and joining the Air Force he became a firefighter for military planes and helicopters coming in for landings. He also spent much of his time as a pitcher on an Air Force baseball team, which allowed him to travel around the world playing baseball in many countries. He was actually injured while pitching for the Air Force baseball team and was sent to a military hospital at the Amarillo Air Force Base for surgery on his right shoulder.  While recovering from his surgery in Amarillo he had decided to make Amarillo his new home, never returning to Detroit.

His first jobs in Amarillo were working for Western Electric and also Zales Jewelers for a few years. Then around 1965 he joined Sid Stout Ford as a car salesman.  He also worked for Brown Pontiac and Ray Jones Chevrolet before moving out on his own. Paul Hudiburg of Oklahoma, City and Ray Jones of Amarillo approached him and offered to help him in his purchase of a Ford dealership in Canyon, Texas in 1979. By 1985, his smaller Ford dealership had become a success and needed room to grow. He wanted to provide a better service and larger business for the Amarillo/Canyon area. He purchased land at the corner of Canyon Expressway and McCormick Road and built a new dealership which opened in 1987.

He loved selling cars, loved his employees and loved his customers. He tried to live his life treating everyone the same, no matter what your status was. He could start up a conversation and become friends instantly with anyone. He was a member of the Coors Cowboy Club. Many will remember he had also started the Ron Clark Ford Invitational, yearly golf tournament, which raised thousands of dollars for local charities and church related organizations.

After 23 years as a Ford dealer he had the opportunity to sell the dealership and retire with his beloved wife Lyn. Ron and Lyn spent years traveling around the world and enjoying each other on all of their journeys. He has said that the car business had changed his life and gave him, Lyn and his family the opportunities that he never could have imagined.

Ron was preceded in death by his dad Richard Gay Clark, and his mother, May Frost. He was married to Lyn Griffin in 1998 until his passing on June, 27th 2022.  He also has two sons, Mark Clark and his wife Beverly of Fort Worth, Texas and their children, Sara, Carson and Lucas.  Randy Clark and his wife Gloria of Ocala, Florida and his children Chase Clark and wife Sydney with their children Benjamin, Bowen, Gracelyn and Viviann of Amarillo, Texas. Calissa Clark Kimberling and her husband, Darius and their son Carsen of Amarillo, Texas. Ron's step daughters, Clarissa Cochran of Austin, Texas and Kellie Cochran of Abington, PA.

May God’s hands gently take Ron to Heaven and show him the promises of his Lord and Savior.

In memory of Ron please make donations to , Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, Amarillo Angels and the Downtown Women’s Center. At Ron's request, there will be no memorial service held.